


To Be A Master

by Izzyaro (Isilarma)



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Adventure, Friendship, Gen, Pokemon Journey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2019-05-04 12:29:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14593071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isilarma/pseuds/Izzyaro
Summary: Meet Ash Ketchum: hot-tempered, stubborn, and determined to do whatever it takes to be the world’s greatest Pokémon Master. When Pikachu refuses him though, he ends up with a different partner, one that inspires a more thoughtful approach to achieving his goal.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! This is one of several stress relief projects that is finally seeing the light of day. I can't promise regular updates, but I do like working on it and I've got everything until the Indigo League vaguely planned out. Pairings are currently undecided, because Ash is ten and about as interested as a rock, so that won't come in until later. I'm still toying with including things like Aura, but that won't be introduced until after the League, if it is at all.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy this story.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

 The first day of April following a child's tenth birthday was a special day. It was the day they were allowed to register as Pokémon Trainers, and begin a journey with a Pokémon of their very own. Some people were given their first Pokémon by friends or family members, while others went to the regional Pokémon Professor, who would make sure that every trainer set out with a healthy, capable Pokémon by their side.

At least, that was how it was supposed to work.

"What do you mean, there's none left?"

Professor Oak did that thing where he looked at Ash like he thought he was an idiot. To be fair, Ash was feeling like a bit of an idiot. Of all the days to break his alarm clock…But that didn't mean the professor had to think it too!

"I'm afraid so, Ash. Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle have all been chosen by young trainers."

Ash's heart sank, but he didn't give up. "Please, Professor, there's gotta be something I can have!"

He couldn't wait to start on his Pokémon journey. He'd already been waiting ten years! Ash didn't know how long it would take to get new Starter Pokémon in, but it would be too long.

Professor Oak stroked his chin thoughtfully. "As it happens, I do have two young Pokémon that might be willing to work with an aspiring young trainer. But," he held up a hand to forestall the barrage of questions, "they were both wild Pokémon."

Ash nodded in understanding. While the Starters of each region were bred and raised specifically for new trainers, Pokémon born in the wild were very different. They weren't used to humans, and would be harder to train.

On the other hand…

"I don't care," said Ash firmly. "I'm going to have to catch and raise wild Pokémon if I'm going to be the world's greatest Pokémon Master. I'm not afraid of starting now."

Professor Oak held his gaze for a long moment, then his weathered face creased into a smile. "Now, how did I know you were going to say that?" He moved through to the back room of his laboratory, waving a hand for Ash to follow. "I suppose it can't do any harm to meet them."

"Yes! Thanks, Professor!"

Oak shook his head, but Ash caught the smile tugging at his face before he turned away. Ash bounded after him, heart hammering in his chest. He had no idea what Pokémon were waiting for him, but he didn't care. Ash had never heard of a Pokémon he didn't think was amazing, and he'd seen enough televised battles to know that any Pokémon could be a strong fighter if trained right. Whatever Oak had, Ash was going to make it the strongest it could be.

When Oak turned back, he was holding two Pokéballs. One was marked with a small lightning bolt, and Ash frowned at it.

"What's that for?"

Oak coughed, and if Ash didn't know better he'd swear the man looked embarrassed. "Ah, well, this Pokémon doesn't like being kept in its 'ball." He sighed. "Actually, it refuses to stay in there. I marked it just so I'd remember that it was technically in use."

"That's so cool. What Pokémon is it?"

Oak opened his mouth, but before he could say anything there was a soft noise from behind them. Ash spun round, and his eyes widened. "A Pikachu!"

He was moving forward before he could help himself. One of the best trainers Ash had ever seen had used a Pikachu in the Indigo League, and Ash had been amazed by the power such a small Pokémon contained. This Pikachu's cheeks were already sparking, and Ash crouched down and held out a hand.

"Hi there. My name's Ash, and I'm gonna be a Pokémon Master. Want to come with me?"

"Ash," said Oak, in a warning tone, but Ash kept his eyes on Pikachu, and a bright smile on his face. Pikachu tilted its head to one side, then snorted and turned away.

Ash's smile dropped from his face. "Really?"

More sparks shot from Pikachu's cheeks, and this time Ash got the hint and scrambled back. "Okay, sorry."

Oak patted him sympathetically on the shoulder. "He doesn't like me either," he said, somewhat mournfully. "I'll probably be releasing him today."

Pikachu's ears shot up, and the Electric-type darted back over to them. Ash looked at the hope in his eyes, and felt the last of his resentment fade. "You should do it now. He doesn't want a trainer." He smiled at Pikachu. "You want to get strong yourself, don't you?"

Pikachu nodded warily. Ash sighed, and looked back at Oak. "Let him go," he repeated. He would love to train a Pikachu, but he wasn't going to force this one to go with him, not when there was another Pokémon that might actually want to be his partner.

Oak's expression betrayed his own surprise, but he nodded. "I will," he promised. "But let's get you sorted out first."

Pikachu hopped onto the table and watched as Oak picked up the other Pokéball. Before he opened it, though, the professor glanced at Ash. "Now, don't be offended if he doesn't wake up."

Ash frowned, but his attention was immediately diverted by the flash of red light that signified a Pokéball being opened. A moment later, the light cleared to reveal another small yellow Pokémon. This one, though, hovered in midair, tail flicking rhythmically from side to side, and Ash gasped as something seemed to press against his mind. It was gone a moment later, leaving Ash staring at the creature.

Which was, as Oak had warned, fast asleep.

Ash stared at it for a minute, then turned to Oak. "Is it going to do anything?"

Oak chuckled, and handed over a Pokédex. "Why don't you have a little read?"

Ash did so, and his eyes widened. "Eighteen hours?" He was pretty sure he'd never slept that long in his life. Training a Pokémon that needed that much rest would be hard. Then again…Ash flicked through the next couple of entries, and stilled. Oak smiled.

"They aren't easy Pokémon to train," he said. "But the trainers that do, well, they are certainly remembered."

Ash nodded slowly, still entranced by the Pokédex page. Psychic types were powerful, and Alakazam were amongst the strongest in the world. If he could train one, then everyone would know he could be a Pokémon Master. No-one would be able to argue, or tell him he was an idiot for even trying.

Slowly, Ash closed the Pokédex, and walked over to the Abra. It didn't react, but Ash thought about what he had just read, and realised that even while sleeping it had to be aware of his emotions and intentions at the very least. He thought about how much he loved Pokémon, and how much he wanted to meet as many as he could, and become the best he could be, no matter what it took.

And Abra's eyes opened.

_'Is that so?'_

Behind them, Oak drew in a sharp breath, but Ash only had eyes for Abra. He opened his mouth, then remembered what he was dealing with, and concentrated as hard as he could. _'I will be a Master,'_ he thought fiercely. _'I know it's going to be hard, and I know it'll take a long time, but it's my dream, and I'm not giving up on it.'_

Abra regarded him in silence, but it wasn't a bad silence, and Ash smiled. _'And if you work with me, then I promise I'll help you become as strong as possible. And more importantly, I'll always be your friend.'_

Abra tilted its head to one side, and Ash was struck by a sudden flicker of surprise. The emotion felt disconnected from him, but before he could say anything, Abra sent another coherent thought, _'You consider that more important?'_

 _'Yes! I don't want Pokémon just to fight with them! I want friends, and partners. I want them to trust me, and to be able to trust them.'_ He paused, not sure how to express himself properly, then realised he didn't have to. He closed his eyes, and concentrated with every fibre of his being on how much he loved Pokémon.

 _'I'm going to be a Master, and I'm going to do it my way.'_ He opened his eyes again, and met Abra's dark gaze without flinching. "Do you want to come with me?"

Oak stirred at the first spoken part of the conversation, but he didn't interrupt. Ash waited, his heart hammering in his chest. Pikachu had already refused. The other Starters were already gone. This was his last chance.

Please.

Abra held his gaze for a long, terrifying minute, and then he nodded.

_'I suppose I might as well. But I am not calling you Master.'_

Ash laughed out loud in sheer joy and relief. "I'll never ask you to," he promised. Then he thought about it. "Is there anything you want me to call you?" A lot of trainers nicknamed their Pokémon, but Ash had never given the matter much thought. Seeing as how he could communicate perfectly well with Abra, though, it seemed rude not to ask.

 _'My kind do not recognise each other with names,'_ said his new partner. _'Abra will suffice. I will know when you are addressing me.'_

Ash grinned. Psychic types were so cool.

"I take it things are going well?"

Ash jumped. He'd completely forgotten that Professor Oak was still in the room. Luckily, the old man looked more amused than annoyed, but Ash still felt rather sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, everything's great, Professor. Abra's agreed to come with me!"

Oak smiled at the pair of them. "I am very glad to hear it." He handed Ash Abra's Pokéball, along with five empty ones and the Pokédex, but before Ash could thank him Abra yawned and Returned himself in a flash of red light. Ash blinked at the Pokéball, and shrugged.

"I guess I'll talk to him later."

Oak chuckled, but his expression soon turned serious. "You will have to be careful, Ash. Abra have an enormous amount of potential, but they tire easily at this level. Make sure he gets enough sleep, and do not let him strain himself."

"I won't," said Ash firmly. "He's my partner, and we're going to look out for each other." Yeah, he wanted to be the best trainer he could be, but not at the expense of his new friend's health.

Oak nodded approvingly, and patted him on the shoulder. "Then I'm sure the two of you will do very well together."

Ash grinned. "Thanks, Professor! I can't wait to get started." His hand closed tight around Abra's Pokéball. The sooner he left, the sooner he could start getting to know his new friend properly.

Oak coughed. "Yes, perfectly understandable. However, might I suggest getting dressed first?"

Ash blinked, then felt his face blaze red in mortification. He'd completely forgotten about clothes in his mad rush to the lab, and was still in his pyjamas. "Yeah, right." He looked down at himself, and felt his blush darken. He was going to have to walk through town like this!

Fortunately, when Ash made it downstairs, he found his mother waiting for him, along with what seemed like most of his neighbours. Delia's eyes lit up at the sight of him.

"Ash! How did it go?"

Ash beamed at her. "I got an Abra!"

Delia blinked and looked at Oak, who shrugged. "The others had been taken," he said. "But I think Ash and Abra will work very well together."

Delia didn't quite look convinced. "But I thought Abra couldn't learn any actual attacks…"

"He will," said Ash promptly. "We're gonna work really hard, and catch lots of other Pokémon too." He patted Abra's Pokéball. "We'll be fine, Mom."

She hesitated, but after a moment her face softened into a smile. "I'm sure you will, but you'll still call me every night, young man."

Ash pulled a face, but didn't argue. Delia's eyes sparkled, and she handed him an armful of clothes. "Now, why don't you ask Professor Oak if you can borrow a room to dress? Unless you want to head to Viridian City in your pyjamas."

"Mom…"

Ten minutes later, Ash was ready to go. His bag was packed, his Pokédex was in his pocket, and six Pokéballs were clipped to his belt. His neighbours gathered round with well wishes and last bits of advice, and Professor Oak shook his hand, until finally Ash was left with just Delia. His mother's eyes were suspiciously bright, but she smiled at him.

"You will call me whenever you get to a Pokémon Centre," she said firmly. "And make sure you eat properly. Don't spend all your money on TMs."

Ash shuffled impatiently. "I won't, Mom." He had been getting the same lecture for the past month.

"And don't push yourself too hard. You're only ten, and you've got plenty of time before the Indigo League."

"Yeah, I know, Mom."

"And make sure you change your underwear every day-"

"Mom!" Ash yelped. "I'm going right now!"

But he didn't protest when she pulled him in for a quick hug. He firmly ignored the prickling in his own eyes and stepped back. "I'll call you later."

"You'd better. Take care, Ash!"

Ash waved, and set off in the direction of the path to Viridian City. He glanced back at the outskirts of Pallet Town. Most of his neighbours had disappeared, but he recognised his mother's slender form, and the silver of Professor Oak's hair, and had to swallow down the lump in his throat. This was the best day of his life, but he was still leaving the only home he had ever known.

But Ash had never been one to dwell on the past. The open road lay before him, a road full of new friends and new challenges. The sun was warm on his face, and Abra's Pokéball rocked on his belt, and Ash couldn't hold back a triumphant laugh.

He was on his way, and nobody was going to stop him. Pure excitement bubbled up in his chest, and he launched himself forward.

"Come on, Abra," he shouted. "It's a long way to the Pokémon League!"

He wasn't really expecting a reply, but a moment later his steps faltered and he nearly fell as a sigh reverberated within his mind. "What-?"

_'I am literally attached to you. There is no need to shout, especially when some of us are trying to sleep.'_

Ash winced, but lowered his voice. "Sorry." Then he paused. "Wait, are you going to be listening all the time?" He wasn't sure how he felt about that. As much as he wanted to get to know his new friend, he didn't think he wanted all his thoughts to be shared.

There was another sigh, and this time it was joined by the distinct impression of Abra rolling his eyes. _'I did say I would know when you were addressing me. Communicating like this isn't as easy as I'm making it look.'_

Ash nodded. "Got it. I'll let you get some sleep then."

There was no verbal reply, but Ash got a sudden feeling of approval, and smiled. This would take some getting used to, but he couldn't deny that it was cool.

It was a perfect day for setting out on his journey. The sun was warm on his back, but not too hot, and the clouds in the sky looked far away. A pair of Rattata raced past before vanishing into the grass, and Ash threw back his head and basked in the joy of finally being on his way.

He hadn't gone far before he spotted something interesting. Ash had spent a lot of time thinking about what sort of Pokémon he wanted, and a good Flying-type had been at the top of his list. He liked walking, but flying would just be cool. Since Pidgeot were both fairly common in Kanto, and known as one of the fastest species in the world, seeing a lone Pidgey pecking at the soil by the edge of the road was exactly what Ash had been waiting for. He bit back the urge to start yelling, and grabbed for an empty Pokéball.

"All right," he whispered. "Let's do this."

He raised the 'ball ready to throw, only to pause when another 'ball at his belt burst open. Abra materialised next to him, and fixed him with a flat look.

_'You do remember that you are supposed to weaken them first.'_

Ash blushed, and replaced the Pokéball on his belt. "Uh, yeah, course I did." He pointed at the Pidgey. "Can you attack that Pidgey?"

Abra eyed the oblivious Flying-type, and for the first time Ash thought he looked uncertain. _'I think I can hold him in place,'_ he said after a moment. ' _But not for long.'_

Ash frowned. "We'll have to get you a decent attack after this." Maybe he should have a proper look through the Pokédex. There had to be something in there about what moves Abra could learn.

First though, they had a Pidgey to catch. Ash glanced round, then brightened. "Hey, can you move things with your powers?"

Abra frowned. _'Within reason, but again, not for long.'_

"It won't need to be for long," Ash assured him. "Just long enough for you to hit it with something hard enough to stun it."

 _'That doesn't sound very sporting,'_ Abra muttered, but he did levitate slightly higher in the air and look around. _'Does this mean I'm using Rock Throw?'_

Ash grinned. "Sure, and it sounds fair enough to me. Bruno's Pokémon throw things at their opponents all the time."

Abra sighed, but waved a claw and a rock the size of Ash's fist rose slowly into the air. ' _All right. Let's see if this works.'_

He gestured, and the rock flew at the unsuspecting Pidgey.

Unfortunately, it didn't fly very fast. The Pidgey had plenty of time to see the incoming missile, and it launched itself into the air with a mocking chirp. The rock sailed out of sight, and Abra frowned. _'Perhaps I should have started with something smaller.'_

"Maybe," Ash agreed. "But it was good for a first try. It was on target and everything. We'll just have to practice."

 _'This sounds like a lot of effort,'_ Abra grumbled.

"Well, yeah I guess, but it'll be worth it. There are loads of ways you could use something like that in a battle, and I bet it'll be just as useful when we're out exploring."

Just thinking about the possibilities was enough to get him excited, but Abra just sighed. Ash rolled his eyes fondly, but before he could say anything else the quiet of the morning was disturbed by a shriek of rage. Ash froze.

"Hey, Abra? Where did that rock end up?"

Abra stiffened. Warily he floated a little higher. Ash took a few steps forward and gulped.

"Uh oh."

The two of them were standing at the edge of a gentle slope. At the bottom of the slope was a flock of Spearow. One of the Spearow was squawking angrily, and next to it...

 _'Ah,'_ said Abra quietly. _'Oops?'_

Ash swallowed, and started to back up. "C'mon. Let's get out of here before they realise it was us."

Naturally, that was the moment when the Spearow looked up. It zeroed in on Ash and Abra, and its eyes gleamed with manic hate. Ash glanced at Abra. "Run?"

_'No, let's stay and wait for them to get organised, Yes, run!'_

Ash didn't have time to tell him to cut the sarcasm. He just grabbed his partner and ran for it.

It was just as well Abra weighed next to nothing. Ash slung him onto his shoulders so that he was sitting on his backpack, and took off as fast as his legs could carry him, but he could hear the Spearow calling its friends, and seconds later came the terrifying noise of hundreds of wings cutting through the air towards them. Ash cursed and picked up the pace. He wasn't sure if he could out-run one Spearow, let alone an entire flock, but he had to try. Abra was counting on him.

 _'I don't want to alarm you,'_ said Abra quietly. ' _But they are catching up. And they are very angry.'_

Ash gritted his teeth, and sped up. He didn't have any breath to spare for talking, but then again… ' _Can't you do anything? Tell them we didn't mean it?'_

' _I did. They don't care.'_ Then his carefully controlled tone changed to alarm. _'Ash, duck!'_

Ash threw himself sideways, and felt wind whip at his cheeks as a Spearow missed him by inches. He changed direction, but there were Spearow ahead of him as well as behind now, and he knew it was no good. There was a river nearby, and a forest up ahead, but he knew he would never reach either before the Spearow attacked.

There was only one thing to do, and Ash didn't hesitate.

"Abra," he gasped. "You have to get in your Pokéball."

It was a long few seconds before Abra replied. _'I beg your pardon?'_

Ash ducked a flashing talon by inches, and shook his head. "Get in your Pokéball," he repeated. "You'll be safe there."

_'But you-’_

"Don't worry about me! I'll be - Gah!"

Distracted by the argument, Ash hadn't seen the other Spearow. White fire blazed down his cheek, and he stumbled, and lost his footing. He had enough presence of mind to land on his stomach, rather than crush his partner, but then he could only cover his head as the rest of the Spearow attacked.

"Now, Abra," he pleaded. "You have to be safe."

Abra was on the ground next to him, staring up at the rapidly approaching Spearow, but at Ash's words, he turned to face Ash and Ash gasped. His partner's eyes were wide open, and blazing with fury.

' _No,'_ he said. _'We have to be safe.'_

He raised his hands, and Ash's eyes widened in horror. "Wait, you're not strong enough-"

' _Teleport.'_

Travelling by Teleport was not an experience that Ash would recommend. He felt like he was being pulled and twisted apart, with every limb being yanked in a different direction. He couldn't see anything, couldn't hear anything, and when he tried to scream he couldn't even open his mouth. He had no idea of Abra was with him, or if his partner had stretched himself too far and Ash would be stuck in this twisted hell forever…

Then there was solid ground under his hands, and the sun was warm on his head, and Ash sucked in air like he would never get the chance again.

"We are never doing that again," he managed, in between gasps. Never.

He waited, but the sarcastic reply he was expecting never came. Despite the warmth of the day, Ash suddenly felt cold as ice.

"Abra?"

Every muscle hurt, but Ash dragged himself to his feet. If Abra hadn't come, if he had been left for the mercy of the Spearow…

_'What did I tell you about shouting?'_

Ash spun around so fast he almost tripped over his own feet. There, lying a few feet away, was Abra, but Ash's pounding heart only sped up. He stumbled over and dropped to his knees next to his partner.

"Abra."

Abra looked terrible. His golden skin had turned an unhealthy shade of yellow, and he hadn't moved a muscle. If not for the faint flicker of warmth in the back of his mind, Ash would think him unconscious, or worse.

_'Long distance. Passenger. Interesting. Not doing that again for a while.'_

Ash choked out a laugh that was more of a sob. His hand trembled when it touched Abra's head, and Ash didn't care in the slightest. "You saved us."

Abra still didn't move, but the warmth in Ash's mind brightened a little _. 'Partners. We save each other.'_

Ash's eyes stung, and he had to take a moment to wipe them. "Yeah. We do." He took a deep breath, and forced himself to think. "You need to rest." He didn't recognise his surroundings at all. Abra could have brought them halfway across the region for all he knew. He was certainly tired enough.

 _'Safe place,'_ Abra sent softly. His voice was not early fainter, but he cracked open an eye enough to glare at Ash. _'Even you should be able to stay out of trouble for a few hours.'_

"Hey," Ash muttered, but his friend did kind of have a point. Less than an hour into his journey, and they had already had a near death experience. His cheek stung at the reminder, and he forced away the terror with an effort. Instead, he took Abra's Pokéball and held it out. "Sleep," he repeated. "I'll be fine."

Abra held his gaze a moment longer, but was too exhausted to argue. He vanished with a flash of red light, and Ash cradled the 'ball carefully in his hands. "Thank you," he whispered.

Despite the warmth of the day, he couldn't stop himself from shivering. That had been far too close. If Abra hadn't been able to get them away, if he had been just a little bit more tired…

Ash gritted his teeth, and forced that thought away. They were okay. They had survived. They would train, and they would make sure that the next time they ran into trouble, they were able to handle it better. And they would run into trouble, Ash had no doubts about that.

It was funny really, Ash had always concentrated on the fun parts of being on a journey; meeting new people and Pokémon, training hard, winning through all the Gyms until he finally reached the Indigo League. He had never really considered the reality; that he was on his own, in a world filled with creatures that could kill him with hardly any effort, with only one relatively weak Pokémon to defend him.

They had gotten lucky once. They couldn't count on that again. Ash's hand closed around Abra's Pokéball, and he took a deep breath.

"Never again," he promised. "We're going to get stronger. And then nothing is going to stop us."

He was still going to be the world's greatest Pokémon Master. If he was the strongest trainer in the world, then his Pokémon, his friends, would be safe. Until then, Ash would do whatever it took to look after Abra, and anyone else he might meet in the future.

For now, though, Ash only had Abra, and until he knew his friend was all right, he wasn't going anywhere. He had the vague idea of finding a Pokémon Centre, but looking around brought absolutely no clues as to his whereabouts. There wasn't even a path he could follow, and until Abra recovered, Ash was wary about venturing any further into the woods. He had learned his lesson about antagonising wild Pokémon.

Bushes rustled behind him, and Ash swallowed. Professor Oak's words echoed in his ears, the first thing he said to anyone who wanted to learn about Pokémon.

_Do not go into any area of wild Pokémon, whether long grass, forest, cave, or sea, without a partner of your own for protection._

Still clutching his exhausted partner's Pokéball, Ash slowly turned around.

 

* * *

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Ash had been looking forward to his Pokémon journey for as long as he could remember. He had had it all planned out; what Pokémon he would choose, where they would go, what they would catch first, where their first Gym battle would be. He had known exactly what he was going to do.

So far, absolutely nothing had gone to plan. Instead of a Squirtle, or Bulbasaur, or even a Charmander, he had left Pallet Town with an Abra that didn't know any actual attacks. Then, not even an hour later, when he did try to catch another Pokémon, they had been attacked by a horde of Spearow. Only Abra's ability to Teleport had saved them, but now Ash didn't have the faintest idea where they were, and Abra was completely exhausted. That would be bad enough, but Ash wasn't too surprised when things got even more complicated. It had been just that kind of day.

So there he was. Alone, but for a single Pokémon that was in absolutely no shape to fight, with no idea where he was, and no way of calling for help.

And now he was surrounded by wild Pokémon.

Normally, Ash would have been delighted by the opportunity. He was finally seeing Pokémon in the wild, rather than at Professor Oak's ranch, and there were species he hadn't seen even there. He recognised a few of them, only an idiot wouldn't recognise Caterpie and Weedle and their evolutions, but the rest were new to him.

He could recognise the fact that they were angry though. That was pretty clear.

Ash swallowed, and slowly began to back away. He was starting to regret not paying more attention when Professor Oak lectured them all about all the different species native to Kanto. He really needed to start looking through his Pokédex properly. He reached for the gadget on his pocket, only to freeze as a Pokémon he did recognise moved to the front of the group.

"Bulbasaur."

Ash had always liked Bulbasaur. Not quite as much as Squirtle perhaps, but they were still awesome Pokémon. Seeing one in the wild was a real streak of luck. Or it would be, if Ash had any way of battling it. As it was, he was more alarmed by the fact that the Bulbasaur looked like the most angry Pokémon of the lot. Two vines had already extended, and Ash could read enough into its body language to know that it was ready to attack at any second.

He might be able to run, but this was the Pokémon's home turf. Besides, Ash had had enough of running for one day. He took a deep breath, and raised his hands.

"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you," he said. "Any of you. I promise."

The Bulbasaur's eyes narrowed. None of the other Pokémon looked particularly convinced either. Ash licked suddenly dry lips, and tried again. "My name's Ash, from Pallet Town. Today is my very first day as a trainer." Inspiration struck, and he held out Abra's Pokéball. "And I couldn't battle any of you, even if I wanted to. I've only got one Pokémon, and he's completely exhausted."

Bulbasaur's eyes narrowed, and his glare moved from Ash to the Pokéball. Ash frowned, then his stomach lurched as understanding hit, and he pulled his hand back. "No! No, I won't let you touch him." He clipped the 'ball firmly back onto his belt, and glared at the Bulbasaur. "He's my friend," he growled. "He just saved my life, and if you want to battle him, you'll have to go through me!"

It was a stupid thing to say. Even weak Pokémon would have no problems injuring or killing a ten year old human, and Ash could tell that this Bulbasaur was not a weak Pokémon, but he couldn't help himself. In his weakened state Abra was in danger, and he was only in that state because he had saved Ash's life. Ash would do whatever it took to repay that debt, no matter the risk.

The Bulbasaur seemed to know it too. Its vines were still extend in readiness, but it cocked its head to one side as if it were listening. It made no move to attack at least, and that was all the encouragement Ash needed.

"I don't want to fight," he said softly. "I just want to get somewhere where my Pokémon can recover safely. I won't try to catch any of your friends, I promise."

A Paras clicked its mandibles in what Ash would swear was derision, and a small green plant-like Pokémon ducked even further behind a pair of Kakuna, but Ash kept his eyes on the Bulbasaur. That was the one that would make a decision, and somehow Ash could tell that the rest of the group would follow its lead. He could only hope that the wild Pokémon could see that he meant every single word he had said.

It felt like forever, but was really only a few minutes. Bulbasaur finally pulled its vines back, and sat back on its haunches, and Ash let out a breath he hadn't realised he had been holding.

Thank you," he whispered. "We won't cause any trouble."

Bulbasaur grunted something. Ash was willing to bet that Abra would have translated it as ' _you'd better not_ ', but that was all right. Ash would be wary of strange trainers appearing out of thin air too.

At least the other Pokémon seemed more reassured by the turn of events. The Paras, and a few of the other Bug types disappeared back into the undergrowth, but the little Pokémon Ash hadn't recognised bounced over to Ash and butted cheerfully against his shin. Ash laughed, and crouched down to pat the budding leaves that made up its head.

"It's nice to meet you too," he said. "I'm sorry for scaring you." He paused, and looked the Pokémon up and down. It was almost certainly a Grass-type, but beyond that he was lost.

Then he imagined what Abra would say, and his cheeks heated as he grabbed his Pokédex from his pocket. He really needed to remember he had a complete database on every known Pokémon with him. The screen lit up, and Ash studied the readout.

"Budew," he read. "Grass and Poison type, native to Hoenn and Sinnoh."

Ash paused, and lowered the Pokédex to stare at the Budew. It wasn't unheard of to encounter Pokémon that were native to other regions, but it was unusual for them to be this young. Then again, it also wasn't usual to find a Bulbasaur protecting a whole bunch of other Pokémon. He shrugged it off. He'd get an explanation eventually.

In the meantime, he smiled at his new friend.

"Hi, Budew," he said. "Sorry for scaring you."

The Budew beamed up at him, and Ash smiled back, pleased to be so easily forgiven. Encouraged by the success, a Bellsprout and a Rattata came over to join their friend, and Ash was soon surrounded by Pokémon. None of them were aggressive towards him in any way; they seemed more curious than anything else, and Ash was just as pleased to be able to meet new friends. It would have been the perfect opportunity to ask if any of them wanted to come with him, but Ash had promised not to catch anything, and he kept his promises. He would have plenty of time for that in the future.

The only one that hung back was Bulbasaur. The designated protector of the group continued to sit and bask in the sunlight a short distance away from them, but Ash noticed that its gaze never left the little group. One wrong move, and Ash knew that it would have no doubts whatsoever about attacking. Ash didn't mind. He couldn't be mad at someone who so clearly cared about other Pokémon. If anything it made him admire the Bulbasaur even more, but he kept his distance too. If he was going to earn the Bulbasaur's trust, he was going to have to tread very carefully.

As pleased as he was to meet them all though, Abra's Pokéball was an unforgettable weight on his belt. Ash looked round at them.

"It's really nice to meet you all, but do you know if there's anywhere safe nearby? My Abra needs help."

The Pokémon arranged a series of incomprehensible looks and sounds. Bulbasaur frowned and padded forward, but before he could do anything, Ash's stomach gave a loud rumble. Ash winced.

"Guess I'm getting kind of hungry too."

Now that he thought about it, he was definitely hungry. The sun had risen high in the sky while he was convincing the wild Pokémon he meant no harm, and Ash had been so excited to leave that morning that he had skipped breakfast. His stomach rumbled again, even more loudly this time, and Ash grimaced. It was definitely time for lunch.

Before he could start raiding his rucksack, though, Budew hopped over to Bulbasaur, and the two of them began a short, but intense conversation. Ash didn't have the faintest idea what was going on, but judging from the way Bulbasaur's eyes had narrowed, he guessed that the Bulbasaur didn't like it. He frowned and got to his feet.

"Hey, is everything all right?"

Both Pokémon paused their argument long enough to look up at him. Bulbasaur's eyes narrowed and he looked between the two of them, then he finally sighed, and turned away. Budew beamed and bounced over to stand in front of Ash, before nudging at his ankle. Ash stared down at her.

"You want me to go with you?"

No wonder Bulbasaur had not looked very happy. He was not arguing though, merely glaring at Ash, so Ash decided it must be okay to follow Budew's lead. He grabbed his bag, made sure Abra's Pokéball was still clipped to his belt, and looked down at the little Grass type.

"After you then, I guess."

Without the Pokémon guiding him, Ash would have been lost within minutes. There was still no path in sight, and with the trees blocking out the sun Ash didn't have the faintest idea which direction they were going. Budew and Bulbasaur didn't hesitate, following some secret way of their own, with Budew glancing back every few steps to make sure Ash was still with them. Ash tripped over a tree root, and pulled a face.

"Hey, don't suppose we're nearly there?"

Bulbasaur glanced back long enough to give a rather disgruntled shake of his head. Budew let out a cheerful squeak, and bounced ahead of them. Her leaves dipped forwards, and she turned back to them expectantly. Ash brightened.

"We are? Awesome!"

Maybe there would be someone who could have a look at Abra. His friend had seemed okay, other than being completely exhausted, but Ash wanted to make sure. He followed Budew around another clump of bushes, then stopped short.

"Woah."

Ash wasn't one to pay much attention to nature, but even he had to admit that the little cottage sitting by the edge of the crystal clear lake, surrounded by lush green forests, made a pretty cool picture. From where he was standing he could see more Pokémon of all different species gathered quite peacefully around the house, and the sight made him smile.

"This is really cool. You both live here?"

Budew nodded cheerfully, and started towards its friends. Bulbasaur rolled his eyes and followed, leaving Ash to hurry after them.

"Hey, wait up!"

His shouting attracted the attention of the other Pokémon. All of them tensed, and some even started gathering energy for attacks, but Bulbasaur barked something and to Ash's astonishment, every single Pokémon subsided. They still watched him, but they returned to their previous occupations, and Budew joined them with a bright smile.

"You're lucky. Bulbasaur doesn't trust many trainers here."

Ash jumped, and spun round to find himself face to face with a teenage girl. She looked to be a few years older than him, and was dressed in practical clothes with her long hair tied back. She was balancing several bowls of Pokémon food expertly on her arms, and she smiled as she met his eyes. "Take some of these for me, will you?"

Ash blinked, then jumped forward. "Right." He took the bowls in her hands and set them down in front of the Pokémon. "Okay guys, tuck in."

The Pokémon needed no encouragement. The girl set another bowl at the water's edge and started throwing food to the Magikarp and Staryu in the water. Ash joined her, and she gave him another smile.

"I'm Melanie, by the way."

Ash grinned at her. "Nice to meet you. I'm Ash, from Pallet Town." He gave her a curious look. "What did you mean when you said I was lucky?"

Melanie took a moment to pass a handful of food to a shy little Horsea, before raising an eyebrow at Ash. "You might have noticed that Bulbasaur isn't the most trusting of Pokémon."

Ash snorted. "Yeah, I got that." He looked round at the happily playing Pokémon. "But I think I can see why now."

Melanie rose to her feet, brushing dust from her jeans, and smiled at him. "This is a sanctuary for Pokémon," she said. "Especially Pokémon that have had bad experiences with humans in the past. Bulbasaur feels responsible for protecting all of them."

"Bad experiences?" Ash repeated, with a frown, then he caught himself and grimaced. Despite the best efforts of the police, Gym Leaders, and concerned organisations, Ash had heard enough stories from Professor Oak to know that not everyone appreciated Pokémon like they should.

Melanie's face was equally grim. "Some people do not deserve to be trainers."

Ash looked over to where Bulbasaur was standing guard over Budew and the others, and just nodded. Melanie scattered the last of the food, and started collecting the empty bowls.

"So, how did you meet Bulbasaur?" she asked. "And how did you get here from Pallet Town so fast?"

It wasn't surprising that she knew he was a new trainer, Professor Oak's Pokémon distribution dates were well known, but Ash was suddenly too preoccupied to think about that.

"Abra!"

Melanie blinked. "What-?"

"My starter," said Ash impatiently. "We got attacked by a flock of Spearow and we couldn't fight so he Teleported us all the way here but he was really tired afterwards-"

"Ash, slow down," Melanie interrupted. "You say he Teleported you from Pallet Town?" Ash nodded, and she started in the direction of the little cottage. "Then it's probably just exhaustion, but I'll have a look just to be sure."

Ash followed, his heart pounding with a mixture of relief and guilt. They were lucky to have found someone who could help, but he couldn't believe he'd just forgotten about his partner like that. Abra had saved his life. He deserved better.

Ash gritted his teeth. From now on, his Pokémon came first.

Abra didn't stir when Ash released him onto the cot in the corner, but Melanie took one look at the little Psychic-type and blinked.

"I know this Abra!"

Ash stared at her. "You do?" Then he thought about it and brightened. "So that's why he brought us this way! He knew we'd be safe here."

Melanie smiled and began a careful examination of the exhausted Pokémon. "Abra are very intelligent, and this one used to visit us quite often. It's not surprising that he would think of this place as a sanctuary."

Ash smiled, pleased to have an explanation. He would be even happier when Abra woke up, but at least he knew they would both be safe here. Melanie finished her examination and smiled at Ash.

"He'll be fine," she said gently. "He'll sleep for even longer than usual, but he should be back to normal in a day or two."

Ash let out a long breath and sat down in one of the wooden chairs. "Thanks," he said. He hesitated, but it was worth a shot. "Is it all right if we stay until he's better? I mean, I can take him to a Pokémon Centre, but-"

"Ash, do you really think I'm going to let you go wandering through these woods with only an exhausted Abra for company?" Melanie interrupted. "Of course you can stay the night." Her eyes twinkled. "Provided you make yourself useful and help keep an eye on my other guests."

Ash laughed. "I can do that."

It was really the least he could do, and spending a couple of days looking after rare Pokémon was hardly going to be a problem. Melanie nodded in approval, but just as she opened her mouth to reply there was an excited squeak. Ash jumped and glanced round in time to see something small and pink disappear behind a corner.

"What-?"

Melanie smiled and rose to her feet. "I suppose I should probably tell you if you're going to be staying." She walked across the room and crouched down. "It's all right," she said gently. "This is Ash. He's a friend."

There was silence for a moment, then a little pink Pokémon inched around the doorframe. Ash smiled, and squatted next to Melanie. "Hi there," he said. "I'm Ash. It's nice to meet you."

The Pokémon ducked behind Melanie's ankles with another squeak, and Melanie gave Ash a rueful smile. "She's a little shy."

Ash nodded. "What kind of Pokémon is she?"

"A Happiny," Melanie replied. "They're the unevolved form of Chansey."

Ash's eyes widened. "That's so cool! I didn't know Chansey evolved from anything!"

Melanie smiled, and lifted her friend into her arms. Happiny huddled against her chest, sparing a quick wary glance in Ash's direction, and Melanie patted her head. "Not all of them do," she said. "But if a Chansey is holding a particular type of incense, then their egg will hatch into a Happiny."

Ash frowned. That sounded a lot more complicated than anything Professor Oak had told him. Then again, Ash had always been more interested by the idea of battling than breeding. His confusion must have shown on his face, for Melanie shook her head.

"It's not important. She's been practicing her healing moves though, so she should be able to help Abra recover more quickly."

Ash brightened at that. "Really? Thank you so much!"

His voice rose in his excitement and Happiny shrank back, but any apology was cut off by the vine that flicked at Ash's ankles. Ash yelped, and looked down to find Bulbasaur glaring at him.

"What was that for?"

Bulbasaur growled and moved to stand in front of Melanie, who winced. "Bulbasaur is a little protective of her," she said. Bulbasaur continued to glare at Ash, and she sighed. "Perhaps you could wait outside while she works?"

As much as Ash wanted to be there for Abra, he wasn't quite stupid enough to argue with Bulbasaur. He slipped past and out the door, where he was promptly tackled by an excited little Grass-type.

"Woah! Take it easy there!"

Budew shuffled back with an apologetic squeak, and Ash couldn't hold onto his irritation. He crouched and patted his new friend's head. "It's okay," he said.

Budew brightened immediately, and promptly launched itself at Ash's chest. The impact was just enough to knock him off balance, and Ash winced as he sat down hard in the grass. "You sure have a lot of energy."

Budew chirped happily and hopped off Ash's chest in the direction of the other Pokémon, then paused and waved her leaves at him. Ash blinked, then grinned. "Okay, I'm coming."

Ash spent the next hour playing with Budew and some of the other visiting Pokémon, including what his Pokédex identified as an Oddish, a Weepinbell, and a Farfetch'd, but despite his best efforts, Ash wasn't able to keep his thoughts from wandering back to the cottage. Sure, Melanie had said that Abra would be fine, but it was one of those things that Ash needed to hear from himself.

Something bumped against his ankle, and Ash looked down to see Budew watching him in obvious concern. A smile came without an effort; the little Grass-type was proving surprisingly good at noticing when he was getting upset. Ash shook himself and picked up his new friend.

"C'mon, let's see if Bulbasaur will let us in yet."

Bulbasaur was soaking up the sun in front of the house, but as soon as Ash approached its eyes snapped open and it let out a low growl. Ash stopped and scowled.

"Hey, I'm not gonna do anything. I just need to know if my friend is okay."

Budew added an emphatic squeak. Bulbasaur continued to glare at them, but just as Ash was opening his mouth to continue the argument, the door swung open and Melanie stepped out, Happiny in her arms. She paused at the sight of Ash and smiled.

"He's awake."

Ash needed no further encouragement. "Thanks!" he called, as he darted past her. Budew fidgeted in his arms, but Ash only had eyes for his partner.

Who looked fast asleep.

Ash huffed a laugh, and slumped into the chair next to him.

"You really had me worried there."

' _I'll try not to make a habit of it. Especially if you're going to start fights the minute I close my eyes.'_

"Bulbasaur was the one who wanted to fight," Ash protested, but he was smiling so hard his cheeks hurt. Warm amusement brushed against his mind, and he settled back into the chair. "How are you feeling?"

' _Tired_.'

"How are you feeling that's different from normal?" Ash clarified, with a grin.

Abra snorted. _'I'm fine.'_ He paused, dark eyes flickering to Budew. _'I see you've made a friend.'_

Budew chirped an agreement, and Ash patted her on the head. "Yeah, she's awesome." He chewed on his lip from a moment, grin fading. "Abra?"

'Mm?'

"I'm sorry you got hurt," said Ash quietly. "I should have been more careful."

Abra eyed him. ' _I don't recall you hitting a Spearow with a rock.'_ Ash opened his mouth, but the Psychic-type beat him to it, ' _It was an accident. I wasn't paying enough attention, and I'm sorry too. We'll both do better next time.'_

Ash swallowed, then nodded firmly. "Yeah, we will."

He felt the now-familiar dry amusement, and let himself relax for the first time all day. They had learned their lesson and they would be more careful and above all, they were getting to get stronger. Neither had to speak, they knew it was true.

The moment was broken when Budew shifted on Ash's lap. Abra glanced at her, then at Ash.

' _She likes you.'_

Ash opened his mouth, then caught himself and concentrated. ' _I like her too.'_ He felt the silent question, and lifted one shoulder in a faint shrug. _'Dunno yet.'_

Abra eyed him a moment longer, then closed his eyes again. _'I'll leave you to it. Don't wake me up.'_

Ash rolled his eyes. "Wouldn't dream of it," he murmured.

There was no reply, and Ash spared a moment to marvel at his friend's ability to fall asleep at the slightest opportunity. Budew wriggled out of his lap and onto a folded blanket with an imperious squeak, and it took Ash only a second to get the message.

"Thanks," he whispered to her, as he spread the blanket over Abra. His starter sent a fuzzy flicker of appreciation, and Ash picked up Budew and made his way back over to where Melanie was mixing medicines at the table. She looked up as he sat down opposite her.

"He'll be fine by tomorrow," she said quietly. "Try not to worry."

It was easier to smile now that he had actually spoken to his partner. "Right." He craned his neck to look at the herbs and berries in front of her. "What's all this?"

Melanie scooped some tangy-smelling salve into a jar. "Just some basic medicines. Happiny is too young to heal every injury that comes by, and it's useful to have some alternatives for the Pokémon that are wary of human medicines."

Ash nodded thoughtfully. He had Potions and other items with him, but maybe it would help to know a bit about this kind of thing. He and Abra hadn't exactly managed to stay out of trouble so far. Melanie caught his eye and smiled.

"I can show you some if you'd like."

Ash grinned back. "Thanks!"

He turned to look at the array of berries on the table, but before he could ask any questions, Budew wriggled out of his arms and hopped back over to where Abra was sleeping. Ash started to follow, but paused when Melanie shook her head.

"She's just going to keep an eye on him," she murmured. Her smile turned rueful. "It's not like she doesn't know all this already."

Ash lowered his own voice. "Hey, Melanie? You know you said some Pokémon were here 'cause they'd had bad experiences with humans…"

He trailed off, unsure how to finish the question. Melanie's smile faded. "Yes," she said softly. "Budew was abandoned by her original trainer."

Ash had suspected as much, given how unusual it was to find one in Kanto, but the knowledge still left him gritting his teeth. Melanie didn't take her eyes from the Grass-type as she continued, "Bulbasaur found her a few months ago. I don't think she really likes staying here, but she's too young to go out into the wild by herself."

Bulbsaur growled in acknowledgement, and Ash looked down to see him rocking the sleepy Happiny in his vines. Even with most of his attention on her, he was still keeping an eye on Budew. Ash scratched his head.

"He really looks after everyone here, doesn't he?"

Melanie's smile turned a little rueful. "I've told him he should go and see the world, but he cares too much about Happiny and the others. It's a shame really. I try to encourage the Pokémon that come here to return to the wild, or find themselves a friend when they can."

Ash didn't need the not so subtle mental nudge from his starter to catch the lead. "All of them?"

Melanie opened her mouth, but before she could say anything Budew launched herself into Ash's lap with an excited shriek. Ash quickly steadied her, and smiled to find her vibrating with anticipation.

"I guess that answers that question." He glanced up at Melanie. "If that's okay, I mean."

Bulbasaur let out a low grumble but didn't move. Melanie's eyes narrowed as she looked at them, then her face broke into a smile. "She's met a few trainers passing through, and she's never liked them as much as you. And she is old enough."

Ash blinked, then laughed and hugged his new friend. "Hear that, Budew? You wanna come with me?"

He might not be able to communicate with her as easily as with Abra, but there was no mistaking her response. Seeing no point in wasting time, Ash grabbed a Pokéball from his bag, then paused and grinned at Abra.

"So much for having to fight them first!"

Abra didn't move, but Ash could feel him rolling his eyes. Ash didn't care. He watched Budew vanish into the Pokéball, and wondered if it was possible to explode from happiness. Abra was going to be fine, and now they had a new friend to continue their journey with.

It had been an awesome day after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any feedback would be very much appreciated.
> 
> Next time, a wild rival appears...


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Ash left Melanie's sanctuary bright and early the next morning. Abra was fully recovered and snoozing quite contentedly in his Pokéball, while Budew bounced at his feet. She was busy saying goodbye to Bulbasaur and Happiny, and Melanie took the opportunity to give Ash a few final tips.

"Remember that those herbs will make your Pokémon feel a lot better, but they're also horribly bitter so don't expect them to like it. Berries are a much nicer option, but at least the herbs won't spoil."

"I'll remember," Ash promised. He was a lot better supplied than he had been when he left Pallet Town, that was for sure.

Melanie smiled at him. "Remember to come back and visit. We'd all love to see how you're all getting on."

"You got it." He glanced down at Budew, who chirped and returned herself to her Pokéball with a final cheerful wave, and then took a deep breath. "Okay then. Thanks for everything, Melanie. Take care, Bulbasaur."

He started down the path, only to pause when Melanie called after him, "Ash, Cerulean is the other way!"

Ash blushed, and corrected himself. Stupid forest looked the same in every direction.

Heading for Cerulean had been a fairly easy decision to make. It was closer than either Celadon or Saffron, and it had a Gym that specialised in Water-types, a fact that both Ash and Budew had found very interesting. Abra had gone with sleeping over expressing a preference, so they had settled on Cerulean.

Ash didn't even try to keep the smile from his face. It would take about a week to reach the city, but that just meant there would be plenty of time for training. He might even catch something else. Abra and Budew were awesome, and Gym Leaders never went too hard on beginner trainers, but it still couldn't hurt to have more options. More importantly, this was his first real step on the road to becoming a Pokémon Master.

It was a great day to be a trainer. It was just Ash and his Pokémon, and the open road.

"Hey, you!"

Or maybe not. Ash spun round and found himself face to face with a purple-haired boy about his own age. There were three Pokéballs on his belt, and a cocky smile on his face. Ash grinned back.

"Hi! You're a trainer, right?"

"You got it," said the boy. "Now battle me!"

Ash felt the flicker at the back of his mind that indicated Abra was paying attention, but that question wasn't one he needed to think about. "Yeah, let's do it!"

"Hold it!" called a sharp voice, and Ash blinked as a teenager came jogging up to them. He looked enough like the boy that they had to be related, and the frown on his face as he looked at Ash's challenger only supported that conclusion.

"What have I told you, Paul?"

Paul blushed slightly, and drew himself up as he turned back to Ash. "Hello, my name is Paul. Would you like to have a battle with me?"

Ash blinked again, then smiled. "Sure. I'm Ash from Pallet Town." He held out his hand, and Paul shook it with a smile. The older boy nodded approvingly.

"That's better. And I'm Reggie, Paul's older brother."

Ash eyed him. He wasn't old-old, not like his mom or Professor Oak, but he was way older than them. "You're not doing the Gym Challenge, are you?"

Reggie laughed, but it was Paul who answered. "He did that ages ago! He's got badges from all over the Home Islands."

Ash's jaw dropped. "That's so cool!" Most people didn't even complete their home region's challenge, let alone anywhere else.

Paul smirked at the acknowledgement of his brother's skill, but Reggie rubbed the back of his head rather sheepishly. "I like travelling. Anyway, there's this new challenge I'm trying now, and so Paul's starting his journey here instead of back home in Sinnoh."

"I've got my first badge already," said Paul proudly. He grabbed a case from his bag, and held out a shiny badge. "Erika was so easy!"

"That's so cool!" The name rang a faint bell. Ash made a mental note to look up Gym Leaders, and felt Abra roll his eyes.

Paul was grinning as he carefully replaced his badge case. "Yeah, I know. How many badges do you have?"

"None yet," Ash admitted. "But I only started yesterday," he added, when Paul raised an eyebrow. "I'm on my way to Cerulean so I can get my first one!"

Paul eyed him, his grin fading into a frown. "Huh. Well, guess you won't be much of a challenge, but my Pokémon could use the practice."

"Hey!"

"Paul," said Reggie, with a sigh. "That was unnecessary."

Ash just glared. Who did that stuck-up pest think he was? Paul rolled his eyes. "Whatever. We gonna battle or not?"

"You bet," Ash growled. He grabbed Budew's Pokéball and held it up. "When I win you'll have to see that I'm going to be the greatest Pokémon Master ever."

"We'll see about that," Paul scoffed. He had his own Pokéball ready, and his eyes were gleaming. "How many Pokémon do you even have?"

"Two, and they're both way more than you can handle."

Paul opened his mouth, but before he could say anything there was a flash of red light, and Abra appeared in mid-air. He ignored Paul completely in favour of glaring at Ash.

' _You do remember that none of us have ever been in a battle before, don't you?'_

Ash scowled. "So?"

The glare intensified. _'I have no attacks! Have you even checked to see if Budew does?'_

Ash opened his mouth, then noticed Paul and Reggie staring, and closed it again. _'I'm not stupid,'_ he thought fiercely. _'She knows all the powder moves.'_

_’And?’_

_’And what?’_ Ash demanded. _‘She’s going to do great!”_

As if sensing that she was the topic of discussion, Budew appeared from the Pokéball and bounced happily at Ash's feet. Ash grinned at her, but Abra just sighed.

_'So we're going to fight a trainer who is more experienced than you, and whose Pokémon have already beaten a Gym Leader. We, meanwhile, have never been in a battle, and have only one move between us that can actually damage an opponent. Yes, this is definitely going to go well.'_

Ash glared at him, but Paul chose that moment to run out of patience.

"Are we going to battle or not?" He smirked. "Not that I could blame you if you're scared."

Ash vaguely felt Abra groan, but all his attention was focused on his opponent. "Scared? We're not scared, and we'll prove it right now. You ready, Budew?"

Budew nodded and did her best to look threatening. Reggie broke into a coughing fit, but when Ash eyed him, his face was carefully blank. He looked at them, and nodded.

"All right, we'll make this a two Pokémon battle. Paul, are you ready?"

"For this loser?" Reggie frowned, and Paul rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm ready." He hefted the Pokéball. "Spearow, get ready to battle."

A small but very angry bird appeared, leaving Ash wincing. "Oh man. Why did it have to be Spearow?"

The memories of being swarmed were still a bit too raw for comfort, and the scab on his cheek was stinging. Judging from the way Abra shifted behind him, he wasn't the only one having problems.

' _She doesn't have to deal with that,'_ said Abra curtly. ' _She wasn't there, but this still isn't a good match-up. Wait, Ash, please tell me you do know the type chart?'_

Ash scowled, but the reminder was enough to distract him from the previous day and he waved a hand. "I'm not an idiot."

"Could have fooled me," Paul called.

"I wasn't talking to you!"

"All right," said Reggie loudly. "Are you both ready?"

Ash looked at Budew. She seemed utterly undaunted by the Flying-type glaring at her, and Ash found a smile tugging at his lips. Even with his lingering wariness, and the concern emanating from Abra, their teammate's enthusiasm was infectious. "Yes!"

Paul nodded, and Reggie smiled. "Then begin!"

"All right! Budew, Powders!"

Abra's eyes actually opened. _'Don't you need to be a bit more specific than that?'_

Ash grinned. "Nope."

Okay, so he wasn't going to admit it, but he hadn't paid much attention to type advantages and disadvantages when Professor Oak tried to teach him about it. That stuff had always seemed so boring, and there was loads of cool stuff Ash could have been doing, and had ended up doing, instead.

But after his first day hadn't quite gone according to plan, Ash had changed his mind. Medicines weren't the only thing Melanie had helped him go over the previous evening. After realising that one of the Pokémon under her care was going to be going headlong into battle, she had been only too happy to let him bounce ideas off her.

Flying-types were a common sight in Kanto, and after the mess with the Spearow, figuring out a counter had been at the very top of Ash's priorities.

Sure enough, seconds later Budew could barely be seen through the haze of purple, yellow, and green spores. Ash nudged Abra.

"See? She can't get hurt if they can't get near her." He raised his voice. "That's great, Budew!"

Budew squeaked an acknowledgement, and the cloud of powder around her thickened. Ash grinned. As soon as Spearow tried to attack it would be immobilised, and then Budew just had to stay out the way long enough for the poison to work. It was a perfect plan.

"Spearow, use Gust!"

"What?" Ash yelled. "Budew, more of everything!"

Budew obeyed, her small form vanishing completely as the storm of powder intensified. For a moment Ash thought she might actually pull it off, but Spearow was too strong. The wind picked up with a howl, scattering the various powders and leaving Budew completely exposed, and barely able to dodge the viciously stabbing beak.

"Budew!"

Abra sighed. _'Really? You didn't expect a Flying-type to use wind attacks? You see those feathered things, those are called wings and they're good at blowing things away!'_

' _Not helpful,'_ Ash shot back, then raised his voice. "It's okay, Budew, just keep moving!"

But it was too late. Spearow lunged forward with a bloodthirsty shriek, and Ash's friend went tumbling across the grass.

Paul rolled his eyes. "I just beat Erika, remember? She did stuff like that too."

Ash ignored him in favour of running to Budew. "Are you okay?"

Budew blinked up at him and gave a weak squeak. Ash swallowed. "Don't worry, you did great." He paused, but though Budew managed to flip herself upright she ended up staggering against him, and that made up his mind. "Budew can't battle anymore."

Reggie nodded, and Ash returned her to her Pokéball. For a moment he crouched there, heart pounding. That had been intense.

' _Ash, look at Spearow.'_

Ash scowled round, then blinked.

Despite the decisiveness of the battle, Spearow hadn't come out unscathed. Its breath was coming in sharp rasps, and even as Ash watched it stumbled on its feet. Paul stared at it.

"What? But it blew away the powder."

Reggie hummed. "Interesting. Ash, it looks like your Budew has the Poison Point ability."

"Really?" He looked at Spearow, then at Budew's Pokéball and smiled. "Awesome."

At least he'd learned something a bit more promising this battle. There had to be a way they could use that. He felt Abra's interest, and made a mental note to look up his starter's ability after the battle too.

"I'm going to change Pokémon then," Paul announced. "Spearow needs a rest."

Reggie nodded approvingly, and Ash frowned. Going back into the Pokéball wouldn't cure the poisoning, but it would let the Flying-type recover some energy. Abra was going to be in for a tough time.

"Okay," he said quietly. "I guess try and take his other Pokémon out quickly so Spearow can't recover too much." In a louder voice, he added, "Abra, I choose you!"

_'Of course you do,'_ Abra muttered. ' _I'm the only other Pokémon you have.'_

He floated forward to take up his position in front of Ash, and Ash winced. ' _You okay with this?'_

' _It's a bit late to be asking now,'_ Abra pointed out, rather waspishly. _'Can you see anything that I can throw at whatever he picks? Or have any other ideas?'_

Ash scanned their surroundings, but aside from the odd sticks and branches, the clearing was annoyingly free of potential weapons. They really needed better attacks. Or any attacks. ' _Dodge until they're worn out, then throw them into a tree?'_ he finally suggested. ' _And see if you can get those Psychic attacks worked out like Melanie suggested.'_

A wave of Abra's frustration washed over him. ' _Once this is done, we need to do some serious training,_ ' his partner grumbled. _'I am not doing this again.'_

' _Fine by me.'_

A loud cough interrupted the discussion, and Ash looked up to see both Paul and Reggie staring at him. Reggie raised an eyebrow. "Are you ready to continue?"

Ash nodded for the both of them. Paul frowned, but took one of the other Pokéballs from his belt. "Turtwig, get ready to battle."

"Turtwig?" Ash repeated. His eyes widened at the sight of the green and brown Pokémon. "Cool! Is that Pokémon from Sinnoh?"

He had certainly never seen one before. Paul nodded. "The Sinnoh starters are Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup," he explained. "But Turtwig is the best."

Turtwig barked an agreement, and Ash grinned. "Yeah? Well my starter is the best of all. You show them what you can do, Abra!"

' _That won't take long.'_

Ash rolled his eyes. "Stop thinking like that! You'll be fine."

Reggie smiled, and stepped back out of the way. "Then let round two begin!"

As before, Paul immediately went on the offensive. "Turtwig, Razor Leaf!"

Turtwig lowered his head, and a wave of spinning leaves shot through the air towards Abra. The attack was dead on target, but at the last moment Abra blinked out of sight and reappeared behind his opponent.

"All right!" Ash yelled. "That's how we do it."

Abra gestured, and a pulse of energy sent Turtwig stumbling forward. It wasn't enough to cause any damage though, and only another quick Teleport saved him from a sudden Tackle.

' _Any ideas?'_

Ash frowned. ' _Can you do that attack again, but make it stronger?'_

Abra's tail flicked as he Teleported again. ' _I think so, but I can't keep this up for long.'_

Ash winced, remembering Oak's words about Abra's sleep needs. ' _Okay, do your best. You're doing great so far.'_

There was a warm flicker of acknowledgement from Abra but the moment was interrupted by an indignant shout from Paul.

"Hey, he's not calling attacks out loud! Reggie, that's not fair!"

"It's a perfectly acceptable use of a Psychic-type's abilities," Reggie called back. "You might as well get used to it now."

Ash smirked. If they couldn't get by with brute force, they had to be sneaky. Paul scowled, and looked back at Turtwig. "It won't make a difference anyway. Turtwig, use Absorb!"

Abra dodged again, but Ash didn't miss the fact that the green energy got closer than the leaves had. Abra unleashed another Psychic wave, but Ash could feel his weariness growing, and the attack barely made Turtwig flinch.

Paul's eyes gleamed. "All right, he's getting tired! Turtwig, use Bite!"

"Watch out!" Ash yelled. He could see the Dark-type energy swirling around Turtwig's mouth, and there was no way he wanted Abra anywhere near that. He felt his partner try to Teleport, but he had used too much energy and Ash could only watch in horror as Turtwig's jaws clamped down on Abra's shoulder.

Up until that moment, Ash had assumed that Abra communicated solely through telepathy, and that their species didn't ever see the need to make actual noise. The scream that burst from Abra's lips proved him wrong.

"Abra!"

The psychic roar of pain that echoed in his mind was even worse, and Ash forgot about Paul, forgot about everything else, and ran to his partner. Turtwig backed off at his approach, and Ash dropped to his knees.

"Abra?"

Both screams died out as Abra huddled into his chest. All he was broadcasting were disjointed impressions of pain and fear that made Ash's head spin. "It's okay," he whispered, as he tried to think comforting thoughts. "I've got you."

"Told you I'd win," Paul announced.

Ash's head snapped up, but before he could start yelling Reggie was in between them.

"Paul," he said grimly. "You did well. Now show some compassion."

To Ash's surprise, a pink tinge spread across Paul's face, and he ducked his head. "Right." He recalled Turtwig, then walked over to crouch next to Ash. "How is he?"

Ash looked down. He couldn't see any blood, Turtwig's teeth had been too blunt to break the skin, but the Dark-typed energy of the Bite attack had been more than enough. Abra was still shaking, and Ash guessed it was as much from the shock as the pain.

"Here."

Ash looked up to find Reggie holding out a Sitrus berry. The older boy gave him a reassuring smile. "He will be all right," he promised. "The first battles are always hardest on a young Pokémon, but Turtwig didn't cause any serious damage."

"Course not," Paul muttered. "It was only a friendly battle."

Reggie raised an eyebrow at him, but said nothing. Ash helped Abra eat the berry, and as Abra's shaking began to fade, Ash finally found he could breathe more easily. Battling had been fun, but there was nothing fun about seeing his partner hurt like this.

"It's perfectly normal for a Psychic Pokémon to react like this the first time they really encounter a Dark-type Pokémon or move," Reggie explained quietly.

' _Void_ ,' Abra whispered.

"Void?" Ash repeated.

"What does that mean?" Paul asked, glancing up at his brother.

Reggie shook his head. "Dark-types, and Ghost-types for that matter, aren't quite like other Pokémon. They're...different." He gave a helpless shrug. "You'll need to ask someone a lot smarter than me for more than that, but I think that's why those two types are strong against Psychic Pokémon."

Ash frowned. "You mean they can't handle the...weirdness? And it messes with their powers?"

Abra flinched against his chest. ' _Hurt_ ,' he agreed. ' _Other. Disruption. Couldn't focus. Couldn't think.'_

The fear in his thoughts was enough to make Ash's heart rate pick up, and he rested a protective hand on his friend's back. "It's okay," he said quietly. "We'll work out a way to deal with it."

Abra was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath and levitated out of Ash's arms. He regarded Paul in silence, before turning to Ash. ' _Please thank him for the battle,'_ he said. _'I know how much we need to improve now.'_

Ash relayed the message, and Paul grinned at him. "You were tougher than I was expecting," he said generously. "We'll have to have a rematch when you've trained up a bit."

Abra's enthusiasm for that idea fed Ash's, and he grinned back. "Fine by us, but you'd better get ready to lose."

The shook hands under Reggie's watchful eye. The older boy muttered something about rivalries under his breath, before shaking Ash's hand in turn. "You did well for your first proper battle," he said. "Get to know your Pokémon, train them up, work out new strategies, and I think you'll go far."

"Thanks, both of you," said Ash.

"It was our pleasure," Reggie assured him. He checked a slightly battered gadget on his wrist, and pushed himself back to his feet. "But we'd better get going. I'm trying to track down the Battle Pyramid, and every time I get close it moves."

Ash and Paul got up too, and Paul grinned at his brother. "But when you do find it, you're gonna kick Brandon's ass!"

Reggie laughed and ruffled his hair. "I certainly plan to."

"Hey," Paul protested, ducking out of arm's reach. He grabbed his bag, and waved to Ash. "See you then. Make sure you're stronger next time we meet!"

"You too!" Ash yelled after him.

Reggie chuckled, and picked up his own bag. "I think this is going to work out." He paused then, his expression turning serious. "One question though, Ash."

"Yeah?"

"You want to be a Pokémon Master," said Reggie. "But what does that mean to you?"

Ash blinked. "Huh?"

Reggie smiled and settled his rucksack into place. "Think about it. We'll see you around."

With that, he headed after his brother.

Ash stared after them for a moment. What was that supposed to mean? A Pokémon Master was a Pokémon Master, that was all there was to it. They were the strongest, smartest, most skilled trainers in the world. That was all Ash had ever wanted to be.

Ash chewed on his lip. Maybe he did have to think this through a bit.

Then everything flew from his mind as he lunged forward just fast enough to stop Abra from crashing into the ground.

"Hey, you okay?"

' _Tired_ ,' Abra mumbled.

Ash couldn't blame him. That had been a lot of Teleporting, and it had been his first try battling. He glanced at the sun, guessing it was around midday, and nodded. "Okay, we're stopping for a bit."

He settled Abra carefully under a tree out of the beating sun, then grabbed his bag and joined him. Budew burst out of her Pokéball as Ash sat down, and Ash looked her over carefully.

"How are you feeling now?"

She butted his hand with a cheery chirp. Her wounds were superficial, to Ash's relief, and a Potion was enough to clear up the worst of it. Ash patted her head.

"You were great," he told her. "We just need to work out some more strategies. There's gotta be some good Grass moves you can learn." He grinned. "And Poison ones too."

Budew squeaked something. Ash frowned. "You're worried about Flying-types?" She nodded, and he scratched his head. "Yeah, me too, but we'll think of something. I promise."

She seemed happy enough with that assurance, her usual exuberance returning immediately, and Ash turned to Abra. "So, what did you think of your first proper battle?"

_'It was more stimulating than I was expecting,'_ Abra admitted. ' _Apart from the getting bitten part.'_ He shuddered, and looked up at Ash. ' _What moves can I learn that are effective against Dark-types?'_

Ash grinned and opened up his Pokédex. Budew hopped on to his lap, and together they looked at the lists. After a moment, Ash blinked. "Huh. Okay. I guess that explains why that attack wasn't working."

He turned the screen so that Abra could read it. The Psychic-type took one look at it and let out a huff. _'Why shouldn't I be able to learn a new move without using a TM?'_

Ash had to laugh at his indignation. "Well, you do have to sleep for a few hours every time you do anything right now. I guess it gets easier to handle more power when you evolve." He certainly hoped so anyway.

Abra glared at him, but the effect was ruined a moment later by a jaw cracking yawn. Ash grinned, and after a moment his partner relented. ' _Then I will train as best I can. Increasing my stamina will only help me after I evolve.'_

"Great!" said Ash cheerfully. He looked back at the list. "I guess we can have a look at TMs when we get to Cerulean," he added after a moment. "A Fairy-typed one would be good. I've heard they can take a lot of training to use properly though, so maybe we should wait a bit…Huh?"

He looked down at Budew, who had been bouncing impatiently on his leg, only for the Grass-type to nod at Abra. Ash followed her gaze, and smiled. His partner was once again fast asleep. Ash returned him to his Pokéball with a quiet movement, then glanced at Budew.

"You want a rest too? Or would you rather stay out for a bit?"

There was a happy squeak, and she bounced out of the shade to start soaking up the sun. Ash watched her for a minute, then folded his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. He had a lot to work on. How to use Budew's Poison Point, how to teach both his friends how to use proper damaging attacks, how to build up Abra's strength so that he didn't get exhausted by only a single battle…

Despite all of that though, there was one thought that kept running through his mind.

What sort of Pokémon Master did he want to be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah. Paul. I'm not a fan of his, but I can't deny that he's interesting. It wasn't a great match for Ash, but he has only been doing this for a day.
> 
> I also don't understand why Pidgey can learn Gust and Spearow can't, but I'm going to be more flexible with movesets anyway. If I can think of a logical reason for why Pokémon could learn a certain move, it's all fair game.
> 
> Any feedback would be very much appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay, life has been crazy. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

"Oh, Ash, isn't she adorable!"

Ash cringed, even as Budew beamed at the screen. "Mom…"

He was really regretting doing this in the middle of the Pokémon Centre. Yeah, he'd promised to call as soon as he could, but did moms have to be so loud? He ignored the grins he could see out the corner of his eye, and focused on his mom's smiling face.

"She's doing well," he told her. "She's getting really strong."

Budew preened under the attention and Ash rubbed her head. She deserved it. It had taken the whole of the journey to Cerulean, but they had Absorb and Poison Sting down. Neither were strong moves, but when combined with her array of powders they had been enough to take down most of the wild Pokémon they had encountered.

"I'm glad to hear it," said Delia, with a smile. "She certainly looks very happy. And how is Abra getting on?"

Abra released himself from his Pokéball long enough to wave a claw at the screen, then returned to his nap. Ash scratched his head. "He's okay, I guess."

"Ash?"

Ash glanced down at the Pokéball on his belt and sighed. "He's been getting kinda frustrated."

Ash thought his partner had been doing great. He could do loads more Teleporting before getting tired, and he was gaining power and accuracy with telekinesis as well. It was just the pure Psychic-attacks that were the problem, but it was a problem that Ash just didn't know how to handle.

Delia listened with a sympathetic frown, and when Ash finished she sighed. "It sounds like you're already doing what you can, Ash. You're building up his stamina, and I'm sure that will make it easier for him to develop his techniques. You'll both just have to be patient."

Ash pulled a face, and they both laughed. Patience had never been one of Ash's strong points. For Abra, though, he would try.

"Are you planning to challenge the Gym now, Ash?" Delia asked, once she'd stopped laughing. "I thought you wanted to catch all the Pokémon you could."

Ash frowned as he tried to think how to explain himself. "I was going to," he said slowly. "But then I had that battle with Paul."

He couldn't help scowling at the memory of his defeat. He had done his best, but it hadn't been good enough. Delia's eyes softened, but she let him gather his thoughts without interrupting.

"I lost because I hadn't spent enough time with my Pokémon," Ash said finally. "I shouldn't have let Abra battle when I know he couldn't attack properly, and I should have had more than one strategy to use with Budew." It didn't matter that he had only been a trainer for two days at that point. His Pokémon were his partners, and they needed him to be better. Ash nodded to himself and looked back at his mom. "I'm not going to let any of them get hurt because I was too busy trying to catch lots of different Pokémon."

Delia gave him a warm smile. "That sounds like a very good way of thinking, Ash. Oh, my baby boy is growing up!"

"Mom," Ash groaned.

Delia laughed. "So, are you sure you're ready for the Gym?"

Budew let out an indignant chirp. Ash grinned. "We won't know until we try, but I think so. We've worked really hard."

"I can tell," said Delia fondly. "I'm so proud of you, Ash."

Ash felt his cheeks heat up, and he ducked his head. "Thanks, Mom," he mumbled.

He ended the call a few minutes later feeling much better. The Pokémon Centre was fairly empty now, and so Ash had space to set Budew on the sofa next to him and send Abra out. His Starter shot him an annoyed look.

' _Am I going to get any sleep today?'_

Ash eyed him. "The last fifteen hours weren't enough?"

He was only half teasing. He wasn't going to fight a Gym Battle if his partner wasn't on top form. Abra tilted his head to one side, then shrugged.

' _Fine. Are we ready?'_

Budew nodded vigorously, almost falling off the seat in her excitement. Ash looked at the two, and his heart swelled with pride. He'd anticipated catching a lot more Pokémon before tackling a Gym, but that was before he'd battled Paul and realised just how hard he would have to work to be a good trainer. He was definitely going to catch more Pokémon in the future, but for now Abra and Budew needed all the attention he could give them.

' _Ash?'_

Ash shook himself and grinned. "Yeah. Let's do this."

The Cerulean Gym was easy to find. Ash had checked with Nurse Joy while he registered for the Indigo League, and was glad he had when she told him that the Gym had not one, but four certified Leaders. They all specialised in Water-types, and they would all scale their challenge appropriately for a first badge challenge. Abra and Budew knew what they were doing, and Ash was ready to earn his first badge.

There was just one slight problem.

"How can they all be doing dance shows?"

The teenager on the desk rolled her eyes. "Come back tomorrow and you can ask them."

"But this is a Gym!" Ash exploded. "They're supposed to be battling, not dancing!"

"They can do what they want," the girl said, with a shrug. "Don't like it, go somewhere else."

Ash opened his mouth, but a mental nudge checked him. ' _What?_ '

' _Yelling at her isn't going to help,'_ Abra pointed out. ' _Now are we going to wait for them to finish, go and train, or go somewhere else?'_ He paused. ' _And go and sit down before she decides you're even weirder than she thought.'_

Ash blinked and realised that the receptionist was eyeing him with open wariness. He had probably looked like an idiot just standing there. Blushing, he slumped over to the seats against the wall and released his Pokémon. Abra settled on the chair next to him while Budew hopped onto his lap, and Ash forced a smile.

"You heard all that?" he asked her. She nodded, and he rubbed a hand over his face. "So what do we do now?"

There wasn't much point in going anywhere else now that they were here, but Ash chafed at the thought of having to spend however many hours just waiting around. He wanted to get his first badge! The automatic doors hissed open behind him as someone hurried in, probably to see the stupid show, but Ash was more preoccupied in digging his PokéDex out of his pocket. If he had to sit around, he might as well go over his strategy again.

"Hey, you!"

Ash glanced round, and suddenly found himself face to face with a very angry girl. Not being an idiot, he promptly stepped back. "What?"

The girl folded her arms. "You're here for a Gym Battle?"

"Yeah, I am," said Ash warily. "But all the leaders are doing some show, so..."

He trailed off as the girl threw her hands in the air with an explosive snort. "They told me one of them was going to be available for challenges! Of all the stupid, irresponsible..."

Ash glanced at Abra, and was relieved when his starter looked as lost as he felt. Clearly realising that they knew nothing, the girl turned her glare on the receptionist.

"Why didn't you call and tell me there was a challenger?"

"I forgot," the teenager protested. "What? You've only been back, like, a day."

The girl pinched the bridge of her nose, grumbling something under her breath that Ash didn't catch, before spinning back to face him. "You, what's your name?"

"I'm Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town," said Ash quickly. He waved a hand at Abra and Budew. "These are my partners."

"Great. So, Ash, do you still want a Gym battle?"

"Of course I do!" Ash exclaimed. "But there's no one for me to have a battle with!"

' _Ash, I think-'_ Abra began, but the girl's snort cut him off.

"Weren't you listening? My name is Misty, and I'm the fourth Cerulean Gym Leader!"

Ash gaped at her. "You?"

Her rather cocky smirk vanished, and she glared at him. "Yes, me. What's so strange about that?"

"But you can't be a Gym Leader," Ash argued. "You're really young." She couldn't be more than a year older than he was, and he was only just starting his journey.

Misty's eyes narrowed, and she folded her arms. "I might be young, but I'm just as qualified to run this Gym as my sisters. And that should tell you something about how good I am." She shrugged, and started to turn away. "But if you don't want to have a battle after all..."

"No, wait, I do!" Ash yelped. "I'm sorry. I really want to get first badge."

For a long moment, Misty didn't move. Ash's heart sank. When Misty did turn back, though, she was grinning. "Well, you can have your battle," she said. "But there's no way you're going to win."

Ash blinked, then felt the flicker of Abra's amusement and grinned back. "Yeah? We'll see about that!"

Budew bounced into his arms with a delighted squeal, and Ash couldn't resist throwing her up into the air. Abra caught her in a psionic grasp with a tolerant sigh and set her back down, and Ash laughed. There was no way they were gonna lose!

Misty led them through the Gym to one of the smaller pools at the rear of the building, muttering all the while about stupid sisters and their stupid shows.

"If we have to go in here, its probably just as well it's your first badge," she said, as she pushed open the door. "Some people trying for their last badges have really strong Pokémon that could cause too much damage to a small pool like this."

"I have powerful Pokémon," said Ash indignantly.

Misty raised an eyebrow at him. "Powerful enough to bring down the roof?"

' _Don't even think about it,'_ said Abra shortly.

Ash opened his mouth, then saw the way Abra's tail was twitching and caught himself. He reached up to rub his partner's head. ' _Don't worry,'_ he thought. ' _You're gonna do great.'_

' _Like the last time?'_

' _That was a week ago,'_ Ash pointed out. ' _We've done loads of training since.'_ He smiled. ' _We can do this. I know it.'_

Abra didn't reply, but some of the niggling anxiety at the back of Ash's mind faded and that was answer enough.

The moment was broken by a whistle from across the pool.

"Hey! Are we having a battle or not?"

Ash winced, and ran to the platform opposite Misty's. The Gym Leader was bouncing a Pokéball in her hand, and looked like she was completely in control. "This battle will consist of two Pokémon each. You can switch whenever you want, but I can't. Any questions?"

"No," Ash called. "Let's do this!"

Misty grinned. She threw the 'ball, and Ash caught a split-second glimpse of a sleek Goldeen before it vanished under the water. Ash grabbed Budew's 'ball from his belt, then hesitated as he took a proper look at the battlefield. Abra cocked his head to one side.

' _Those are very small platforms.'_

Ash scratched his head. "Yeah," he muttered. Another thought struck him, and he frowned. "Hey, can Budew swim? Can you swim?"

Abra gave him an incredulous look. ' _It's a bit late to be worrying about that now, isn't it?'_

"Ash, get on with it!"

Ash shrugged. "Guess we'll just have to improvise."

' _Oh, joy.'_

Ash ignored him. He took careful aim, and Budew materialised on the platform nearest them. She squeaked happily at him, unfazed by the fact that they were fighting for their first badge, until Ash had to smile. "You can do this!"

Misty shook her head. "If you're finally ready, then let's go!"

Adrenaline flooded Ash's body. "All right! Budew, use Absorb!"

Green energy gathered around Budew's leaves, but she suddenly paused and shot him a questioning look.

' _What is she supposed to use Absorb on?'_ Abra supplied dryly.

Goldeen was nowhere to be seen. Ash opened his mouth, then closed it again. This might be more tricky than he had expected. Opposite him, Misty rolled her eyes.

"Did you think about what a Gym specialising in Water-types would involve at all?"

"Yes!" Ash shot back, stung. "And we'll prove it."

Misty didn't look convinced. Nor did she look worried. "Sure. Okay, Goldeen, Horn Attack!"

A plume of water erupted to Ash's left, and Goldeen shot towards Budew, horn blazing white.

"Budew, dodge and powders!" Ash yelped.

He had been expecting the attack, but he was still only just in time. Budew sprang sideways, dodging the horn by a breath, and launched a glistening cloud of powders into the air right in front of Goldeen. The Water-type hit the water with an ungainly splash, and Misty pursed her lips.

"Not bad," she said. "But not good enough!"

Goldeen broke the surface just long enough to demonstrate that all the powder had been washed from her scales, and Ash scowled. He had hoped they'd would take effect fast enough for that not to be an issue.

"We're not out of tricks yet. Poison Sting, Budew, as much as you can!"

Budew obeyed immediately, jumping into the air and launching a storm of stings into the water.

"More!" Ash urged. Goldeen was fast, but if they could get it at least once it would make things a lot easier. Misty was starting to look worried, which could only mean he was on the right track.

Abra suddenly twitched. ' _You got her.'_

Ash blinked. "I did? Wait, is you telling me that cheating?"

' _I don't see how,'_ Abra huffed, but a second later Goldeen resurfaced, and the sight of the stings embedded in her side made the question redundant. Ash didn't waste the opportunity.

"Now use Absorb!"

Budew gathered the energy faster now that she had something to target, but even poisoned as she was, Goldeen was still faster and she vanished back under the water. Budew's attack fizzled out against the surface. Ash groaned. "Come on!"

Misty grinned at him. "Type advantage isn't everything, Ash," she called. "You sure you prepared enough?"

Ash gritted his teeth. "Poison Sting again, Budew," he said. "We need to drive her out of the water."

Budew nodded, and jumped into the air to spray the water's surface with stings, but there was no sign of the Goldeen. Misty shook her head.

"That won't work a second time," she said. "Haven't you got anything else?"

Ash scowled. How was he supposed to attack when Goldeen wouldn't come out? Sure, she was poisoned, but that would still give her too much time to fight back. If only there was a way of getting her out of the water...

The thought struck trainer and Pokémon at the same instant, and Ash looked back at Misty. "Wait, I can switch, right?"

Misty's eyes flickered between him and Abra, and she sighed. "I did say so."

"Awesome," said Ash with a grin. "Time to take a rest, Budew!" His Grass-type disappeared back into her Pokéball, and Ash glanced at Abra. "You ready, buddy?"

Abra's tail was flicking from side to side again, but he nodded and floated forwards. He remained motionless for a moment as he concentrated, then abruptly waved a claw. The furthest platform suddenly flipped upside down, sending a stunned and startled fish flying into the air.

"That was awesome, Abra!" Ash yelled. "Now don't let it back in the water!"

Goldeen came to a halt in midair, and Abra spared Ash a look. ' _That was the plan, yes.'_

Ash laughed. Now all they had to do was Before he could say as much though, Goldeen gave one final shudder and fell still.

Silence fell. Abra looked at Goldeen, then at Ash, and shrugged. ' _Well, I'm not complaining.'_

Ash rolled his eyes, but he was in too good a mood to mind his partner's laziness. He was halfway to his first badge!

Misty pulled a face as she returned her Pokémon. "Nice work on the poisoning," she said begrudgingly. "I guess having to keep out of the way of your attacks made it spread faster. And you know your types too." Her eyes gleamed. "But you're not the only one with Psychic-types."

She grabbed a Pokéball, then paused. "Wait, first badge. Oops." She switched the Pokéball for another, and tossed it. "Well, let's see how you deal with this. Come on out, Staryu!"

Ash squinted at the brown, star-shaped Pokémon that materialised. ' _Okay. You know anything about Staryu?'_

' _Why would I?'_

' _You act like you know everything,'_ Ash grumbled, as he dug his PokéDex out of his pocket. He scanned the entry and frowned. ' _Huh? It's not a Psychic-type? Never mind, it's not a Dark or Ghost-type either, you'll be fine.'_

' _Thanks for the vote of confidence.'_

Unlike Goldeen, Staryu remained on the platform opposite the one Abra was hovering five feet above. Ash shivered. The gleaming red jewel was strangely unsettling.

"All right, Ash," Misty called. "If you can beat Staryu, you'll have won your first badge."

"All right!" Ash cheered. "There's no way we're gonna lose, right, Abra?"

"We'll see about that," said Misty. "Staryu is one of my strongest Pokémon. Right, Staryu, let's start things off with Bubblebeam!"

Abra promptly blinked out of existence. He reappeared behind Staryu, and unleashed a burst of energy that sent the Water-type staggering.

"Behind you!" Misty warned belatedly, but Abra had already Teleported away. Ash glanced round for him, until a mental sigh filled his mind.

' _Above you. Way above. No, don't look!'_

Ash blushed, and forced himself to keep his eyes on Staryu. ' _You got a plan?'_

' _Keep doing this? I keep trying to pick it up so I can throw it, but it's fighting me. It must have some Psychic power of its own.'_

' _That's not good,'_ said Ash, frowning. ' _How long can you keep this up?'_ They had tried to work on Abra's stamina issues, but a week wasn't long enough to have made much of a difference. Then he groaned as Staryu avoided the next Psychic blast by diving into the water. "Not again!"

Abra flickered back to hover in front of him. ' _Do you want to switch back to Budew?'_

Ash chewed on his lip. It wasn't an option he liked, but he didn't really have many others. He opened his mouth, then paused as the floor shuddered. Water splashed out of the pool, soaking his retainers, and he glanced at Misty. "Woah. Your Staryu is strong."

Another tremor sent both of them stumbling, and Misty shook her head. "That's not us." Her eyes widened, but before she could say anything, the wall exploded.

There was no time to think. Ash grabbed Abra and threw himself to the floor. Concrete and plaster rained down around them; a lump the size of his fist cracked Ash on the leg, and he twisted to keep his partner out of the way of the falling debris. His mind was spinning with shock and fear, and it was all he could do to hold on to Abra and pray to whatever might be listening that they would be okay.

It seemed like an age but could only have been a few seconds before the chaos subsided. Ash tentatively raised his head.

"What-" he broke off as the dust made him cough, but could still feel Abra's concern blazing painfully bright in his mind.

' _Ash?'_

' _I'm fine. You?'_

Then the dust settled enough that Ash saw what had caused the explosion, and his jaw dropped. Abra followed his gaze.

' _Is...is that a giant mechanical Meowth?'_

Ash barely noticed Budew popping out of her 'ball to see what was going on. Two people in their late teens, a girl with long dark red hair and a blue-haired boy, both dressed in white uniforms, were standing on the Meowth's shoulders, chanting some weird motto, and -

"Did that Meowth just talk?" he demanded. "That's so cool!" He glanced at Abra. "How come you can't do that?"

' _Ash, focus! They just broke down the wall!'_ He pointed a claw. ' _And what's Misty doing?'_

Ash looked, and saw the Gym Leader stalking over to the newcomers. "Dunno, but we'd better help!"

He scooped Budew up into his arms, and sprinted round the pool to join the group. He wasn't entirely surprised to find Misty shouting.

"- told you to stop following me!"

"What's going on?" Ash demanded, but his question went unanswered as the older girl laughed.

"Nice try, but we're not going to stop until we get that precious Starmie of yours."

"You tell her, Jessie," the boy said. "The Boss is the only person who deserves such a powerful Pokémon."

Misty let out a wordless snarl of frustration and turned to Ash. "Ash, meet the most useless Team Rocket cell in the world. They tried to rob a Pokémon Centre while I was there, and since they only have Poison-type Pokémon, my Starmie was able to stop them. And now they want it and won't leave us alone!"

Ash stared at her, then at Team Rocket. "That's crazy! You can't steal her Pokémon! You shouldn't steal any Pokémon!"

"This twerp's even worse than the first one," the Meowth growled. "Seeings as you're here, you can hand over the Abra an' the baby Grass thing too."

"Ooh, I know what the Grass-type is," the boy interrupted. "It's a Budew, I used to see lots of them in my grandparents' garden in Sinnoh-"

"We don't care, James," Jessie snapped. "It's rare, so we're taking it."

Ash would be the first to admit that he wasn't always great at keeping his temper. Everyone had told him about it, from his mom to Professor Oak. He wasn't great at staying mad though, so it didn't usually matter too much.

The anger he felt as he listened to Team Rocket planning to steal his Pokémon, his friends, was different. It bubbled up from deep inside, but instead of making him lose control he found himself focusing better than ever.

He would do whatever it took to protect his friends.

"Hey, Misty," he said. "I think I've had enough of these guys."

Misty caught his eye, and gave him a grim smile. "You and me both. Starmie, let's go!"

A large purple Pokémon with an even more sparkly jewel than Staryu's appeared next to Abra. Staryu hopped up to it's other side, and Ash took a deep breath. "Be careful, guys," he whispered.

Budew glanced back at him and nodded, her usual exuberance quelled for once. Abra said nothing, but warm reassurance filled Ash's mind and it steadied him. "You guys get out of here," he called. "Go bother someone else. You're not getting our Pokémon."

To his surprise, Jessie and James laughed.

"Look at them, all ready to fight," Jessie cooed.

"All ready for something," James agreed, with a snigger.

Ash frowned, but Misty gasped. "Everyone look out!"

She was too late. A panel of the Meowth slid down and a large net shot out. Before Ash could so much as blink, all four Pokémon had been dragged inside the machine. The panel slammed shut.

"No!" Ash screamed. Not his Pokémon. He couldn't lose his Pokémon. "Abra! Budew!"

"Give them back!" Misty demanded, but the Rockets just laughed.

"Finders keepers," Meowth jeered. "What a haul we've got for the boss today!"

Ash saw red. "Give me back my Pokémon!"

He lunged forwards, not knowing what he was going to do but knowing he had to do something, only to nearly trip over his own feet as a deafening crack echoed through the wrecked room. Ash spun round, and stared.

Abra looked nearly as exhausted as he had the day they escaped from the Spearow, but his mind was thrumming with satisfaction.

' _What kind of morons think a cage can stop a Teleporter?'_

Ash laughed, and it was bordering on hysterical but he didn't care. He caught up Budew and Abra in his arms and hugged them tight. "I thought I'd lost you."

' _Not yet,'_ said Abra quietly. ' _Not ever, if I have anything to say about it.'_

Ash could only hug him close.

"Starmie! Staryu!" Misty looked up from her own Pokémon and beamed at Abra. "Nice work!"

Abra waved weakly, and let his head fall against Ash's neck. Budew, though, jumped out of Ash's arms and glared at Team Rocket, who were still gaping at Abra.

"Not fair!" Jessie squeaked.

"Fair?" Ash repeated incredulously. "You're thieves!"

"So?"

"Don't bother, Ash," said Misty grimly. "Let's just teach these losers a lesson."

The Rockets exchanged a look and started to back up, but Ash was way ahead of them. "Budew, Stun Spore!"

"Oh dear," James moaned, as all three crashed to the floor and started twitching. "I know what's coming now."

"Starmie, use Psychic," Misty ordered. "Staryu, Hydro Pump!"

"Yep," Meowth whimpered. "Here we go."

Ash watched in awe as the combined attacks sent the trio and their crazy robot flying into the air. The robot exploded in midair, and by the time Ash could look back, Team Rocket were nowhere to be seen.

For a minute there was silence. Ash found his head spinning as he tried to work out what had happened. He ehad expected to see strange stuff on his journey, but that...

Budew broke the moment with a satisfied chirp, and Ash came back to his senses. He ran forwards, and caught Budew up again. "That was awesome!"

"Yep," said Misty proudly. She checked her Pokémon over quickly, before glancing at Ash. "I'm really sorry about that. Are you all all right?"

"We're fine," Ash assured her. Budew chirped agreement from his arms, and Ash hugged them both tighter. He had no intention of letting them go any time soon. Abra was already fast asleep, and for once Ash didn't blame him. He owed him big time. Misty's eyes softened.

"I am sorry," she repeated. "And thank you for your help. I've told Officer Jenny about them, but they're surprisingly good at not getting caught."

Ash frowned. "Are you gonna be okay? It sounds like they really want your Starmie."

He shuddered at the thought. He couldn't imagine what he would do if Team Rocket wanted one of his Pokémon so badly. Misty grimaced. "I can handle them, especially when my sisters are around." She gave him a half-hearted smile. "It's good training if nothing else."

Ash shook his head. "It's not right," he insisted. "Why isn't anyone doing anything about them? Or about Team Rocket in general?"

He had never really paid much attention before, but he had heard his mom and Professor Oak talking about how they were always causing trouble. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't remember a time when there wasn't something going on. Misty sighed.

"People are trying. The Chanpion and Elite Four have been working with Interpol for years, and we Gym Leaders help out too. It's just really hard to get to the people in charge." She shook her head sharply, and straightened up. "But that isn't something you need to worry about."

"But-"

"Ash, it's not your problem to deal with," she said firmly. "At least wait until you've got a few more badges before trying to take on criminal organisations."

It was clear she wasn't going to change her mind. Budew nuzzled into his arm, and Ash had to admit that she had a point. They had barely managed one battle, and that was against a weak team and with a Gym Leader for back up. "I guess," he muttered.

Misty nudged him. "Cheer up. This is a start at least."

Something in her voice made him look up, and his jaw dropped. "A badge?"

"The Cascade Badge," Misty clarified, with a smile. "And it's yours."

She held out the badge, but Ash hesitated. "But we didn't finish our battle."

Misty raised an eyebrow. "You helped me fight off a gang of criminals. That's more important." She shrugged. "Besides, you demonstrated an understanding of the type chart, and some rudimentary tactics. That's enough for a first badge."

"Rudimentary?" Ash protested, but he couldn't help smiling as she placed the badge in his hand. His first badge!

"Rudimentary," Misty confirmed. "You come back when you have eight badges, and I'll show you how good I really am."

Ash pinned the badge to the inside of his jacket, and grinned. "Yeah, well I'll be a lot stronger too!"

No one was ever going to take his Pokémon from him again. Misty smiled. "I know. I think I'll have to keep my eye on you, Ash Ketchum."

She held out her hand, and Ash shifted Abra and Budew around until he could take it. She winked at him. "Stop by if you're ever in Cerulean."

"You bet," Ash agreed. Budew hummed agreement, and he finally let himself relax.

He had won his first badge. He had earned a Gym Leader's respect. His Pokémon were safe.

Ash still had a lot of work to do, but for now that was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Any feedback would be very much appreciated.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

' _Are you sure this is the right way?'_

"Of course I am," Ash snapped. "Misty said to keep the river on the left until we get to the woods, and then turn right and follow the path to the cape."

Abra sighed. ' _Ash. The river is currently on our right. And I can see three different paths, but no trees.'_

Ash huffed and folded his arms. "Okay, you find the way if you're so clever."

He was beginning to wonder if this trip had been worth it. The original plan had been to head to Celdaon for their next badge, but after hearing about the Team Rocket mess Professor Oak had suggested that his Pokémon could use a break. A conversation with with Misty had provided the perfect idea.

It had also involved another Team Rocket attack. Ash was beginning to see why Misty wasn't particularly worried about them. On the plus side, Abra had been getting a lot of practice with his Psychic powers. Starmie was a surprisingly good teacher.

Once the dust had settled, Ash had had to agree with the Professor. His Pokémon deserved a break, and visiting Misty's friend sounded as good an option as any.

Unfortunately, Ash had never been known for his sense of direction.

"Come on, Abra," he groaned. "Help me out here."

Abra eyed him for a minute, then sighed and floated up into the air. Ash shaded his eyes against the sun. "See anything?"

Abra returned to his side with a pop. ' _Yes.'_

"Great! Which way?"

' _No,'_ said Abra flatly. ' _We are not doing this again.'_

"What-" Ash began, but then there was the now-familiar lurching and spinning that came with a Teleport. The craziness faded a second later, and Ash sat down hard. "Little warning next time, buddy," he managed.

' _Sorry_ ,' said Abra unapologetically. ' _But the practice is useful, and I just cut about three hours off the journey.'_

"It would not have taken three hours," Ash grumbled. Okay, maybe it taken them a bit longer than necessary to get here, but they definitely hadn't left the Pokémon Centre more than an hour ago. Two at most. Definitely not more than two and a half.

Stomach recovered, Ash looked around. Abra had brought them straight to Cerulean Cape, and even Ash had to admit that the view was spectacular. A trio of Pidgey swooped around his head and down to the water, as the sight of the beach sparked Ash's memory.

"Hey, Water-types! Let's go, Abra!"

' _But weren't we supposed to be visiting-'_

"We can do that later," Ash yelled back over his shoulder. He skidded to a halt on the sand, and squinted round.

It had been Misty's idea. The young Gym Leader was so enthusiastic about her chosen type that it was impossible not to get caught up in it. Her reminder that a Water Pokémon would be able to protect Budew from Fire-types had just been the icing on the cake.

Abra Teleported next to him and sighed. ' _What about those two?'_

Ash followed his gaze. A broad grin spread across his face. "Perfect."

A Slowpoke and a Psyduck were sitting side by side, placidly watching the waves. Ash reached for Budew's Pokéball, then paused. "Can't hurt to ask first, right?"

Abra shrugged, and Ash walked over and crouched down between them. "Hey you two," he greeted them. "My name's Ash Ketchum, and I'm a Pokémon trainer. Do either of you want to come with me?"

Neither Pokémon moved. Ash glanced at Abra and got another shrug in reply, and raised his voice. "I said, do either of you want to come with me? I can make you really strong, promise!"

Still there was no response. Instead, Budew burst from her Pokéball to see what was going on. She hopped over to headbutt the Slowpoke, and turned a disbelieving look at Ash when it didn't so much a blink. Ash scratched his head, but before he could say anything, Abra let out a very put-upon sigh.

' _They both heard you,'_ he said, before Ash could ask. ' _Slowpoke is still processing the question.'_

Ash thought about how much effort it would take to give order in a battle, and winced. "Okay. What about Psyduck?"

To his surprise, the Psyduck looked up at him. It held his gaze for a moment, then glanced at Roselia and Abra. Then it shrugged, and before Ash could say anything it reached out and tapped one of the empty Pokéballs on Ash's belt and vanished in a flash of red light.

' _She's fine with it,'_ said Abra dryly.

He settled down on the warm sand with a yawn, and Ash grabbed at the newly occupied 'ball just as it gave the click of a successful capture.

Budew beamed. Still completely bewildered, Ash tapped the button, and Psyduck appeared before him. She looked him up and down in silence. Ash stared at her for a moment, then recovered himself and grinned at her.

"Okay, that's great! Nice to meet you."

Psyduck held his gaze, then nodded. She waved goodbye to Slowpoke, who continued to stare at Ash, and waddled over to join them. Budew bounced up to her, squeaking happily all the while. Psyduck blinked at her, then at Abra, who in turn glanced at Ash.

' _She'll be fine,'_ Abra promised.

Ash smiled at him. "Thanks." He patted Budew on the head and shook Psyduck's hand, catching Budew automatically with the other as she jumped at him. Ash grinned up at Abra. This wasn't the team had had planned, but right now he couldn't say he minded in the slightest.

Naturally, it was Abra who interrupted the moment.

' _So, are we visiting this fanatic person, or not?_ '

Ash rolled his eyes. "Yes, Abra." He looked at Budew and Psyduck. "Do you two wanna stay out? This guy's supposed to have loads of really rare Pokémon."

Budew nodded, and hopped out of his arms. She nudged Psyduck until the Water-type also agreed, albeit after giving her an odd look. Ash looked at them both, wondering if subjecting Psyduck to Budew's boundless energy right away was a good idea, but dismissed that thought after only a second. The sooner they got used to each other, the better. Instead, he turned to eye the long path back up to the cottage.

' _No_ ,' said Abra, just as Ash opened his mouth. ' _I've already Teleported you there once, it's not my fault you wandered off again.'_

"You're the one who said you wanted to practice!"

' _Yes, and I've done my practice for the day.'_

Ash scowled at him. "You're such a pain."

' _You're the one with the attention span of a Ninjask. Psyduck and Budew have already gone, by the way.'_

Ash yelped, and raced off after his Pokémon. It didn't take long, considering Budew could only travel in tiny hops and Psyduck's waddle wasn't much faster. Psyduck glanced up at him and raised an eyebrow, and he grinned at her.

"So, what moves do you know?"

He could look it up on the PokéDex, but it seemed nicer to ask. Psyduck tilted her head to one side, then sprayed a jet of water from her bill. A second later she followed it up with another, more powerful one that Ash recognised from the second confrontation with Team Rocket.

"Water Gun and Water Pulse? Awesome!" He tried to remember what else he knew about Psyduck and Golduck. "What about Psychic moves, like Confusion?"

Psyduck wobbled a flipper back and forth. Ash smiled. "That's okay. You and Abra can work on that together."

They looked at each other, and both nodded. "Great," said Ash. "Oh yeah, would you be happy to work with Budew too? It'll be good practice for when you have to fight Grass-types."

Psyduck didn't look quite as happy about that, but Budew bounced up to her and waved her leaves in cheery acknowledgement. Psyduck sighed, but didn't seem actively against the idea and so Ash decided not to worry about it.

By the time Ash had finished working out some basic training ideas, they were nearly at the cottage. Ash paused at the door and looked at his friends.

"Okay, everyone ready to meet an awesome Pokémon researcher?"

' _Can we just get this over with so I can go back to sleep?'_

Psyduck sniggered. Ash just rolled his eyes. He thumped on the door, and waited.

And waited.

' _Can we go now?'_

Ash shot him an incredulous look, and it was Psyduck's turn to roll her eyes. She scowled at the door, but before she could do anything Ash would probably have to apologise for, there was the sound of hurried footsteps and the door was flung open.

"Sorry, sorry," a young man wheezed. "It was feeding time - Oh, you have an Abra! Excellent choice, the first Pokémon I caught was an Abra."

Abra raised an eyebrow at Ash. ' _I like him. He has good taste.'_

Ash pulled a face, but the man smile became even brighter. "Ah, I see you're already comfortable with telepathy," he said. "That's very good, you'll find that very useful as you progress on your journey. Who are you again?"

Ash blinked, then shook himself and held out his hand. "I'm Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town. Misty said you had lots of rare Pokémon, and I was wondering-"

"Of course you can see them," the man said. He spun round, then checked himself and spun back. "Oh right, I'm Bill. Nice to meet you, Ash. Come with me."

He disappeared back into his house. Ash exchanged a bemused look with Abra, and started after him. The interior was surprisingly spacious, and filled with all things Pokémon. Bill had paused in the hallway to feed a berry to a Clefairy, but glanced up with a grin as Ash entered.

"So you started with an Abra, huh? How's that going? Ooh, is that a Budew?" he exclaimed, before Ash could even open his mouth. "That's amazing, I've never seen one in person! Where did you find her? I don't need to ask about that Psyduck of course, I'd recognise the locals anywhere."

' _Humans do still need to breathe, don't they?'_ Abra asked.

Ash could only shake his head. Bill seemed to have had more thoughts in the last minutes than Ash had had all morning. Budew didn't seem to mind, and she was dragging Psyduck around behind her as she bounced up to say hello to Clefairy. Bill trailed after her, somehow managing to make notes on her behaviour while keeping up an unending flow of questions and observations.

"I think she's a little smaller than average, based on what I've read, but she looks in the prime of health so that shouldn't be a problem. You might want to try a few nutritional supplements in winter, or of you spend too much time underground, or at any time when she might not be getting enough sunlight, and I'm assuming the Psyduck is new? You'll have to make sure her skin stays moist in dry environments, or if she can't self-moisturise for any reason."

"Yeah," Ash mumbled. "I'll do that."

He cast a pleading look at Abra, but his partner had spotted an unoccupied cushion and was fast asleep so there was no help coming from that direction. Ash sighed and shuffled after Bill. There were Pokémon around that Ash had only ever seen on TV, but every time he tried to ask a question Bill exploded with another round of helpful remarks and suggestions. It was all useful, there was no doubt that Bill knew what he was talking about, but it wasn't exactly how Ash had planned to spend the day.

To Ash's relief, a distraction appeared. A sleek Espeon slipped into through the piles of books and Pokémon to wind itself around Bill's ankles. The self-professed Pokémaniac actually shut up, and crouched down to pat its head.

"Hey, boy," he said softly. "Everyone all right?"

Espeon purred, and flicked his tail at Ash. Bill bounced up with a grin. "You'll want to see this, Ash," he said. "Come with me."

A glance round the room assured Ash that all of his Pokémon were happily occupied. He followed Bill down the corridor to a smaller room filled with soft cushions and a remarkable amount of chew toys. Espeon went straight to an enormous padded basket containing half a ton of blankets, a snoozing Umbreon, and -

"Are those baby Eevee?" Ash breathed.

One of the Eevee blinked sleepily up at him, and showed tiny fangs in a yawn. Bill scooped it up with a smile. "Well, they're about eight weeks old now, so they're not really babies any more, but yes." He settled the Eevee in Ash's arms, and sat back on his heels. "Six kits," he said proudly. "All healthy and doing well."

"They're amazing," said Ash quietly. The Eevee in his arms was wide awake now and sniffing curiously at his neck. Ash stroked the thick ruff, and was rewarded by a happy bark.

"He likes you," said Bill. He cocked his head to one side, but before he could say anything else there was a loud pounding on the front door. Bill frowned and pushed himself up. "I am popular today," he said in bemusement. "I haven't had this many visitors in a long time."

Ash reluctantly set the Eevee back in the basket with his family. The little Normal-type whined and tried to scramble after him, until Ash couldn't help lingering for a final pat.

"Sorry, buddy," he said. "I'll come back and say goodbye before I go, all right?"

Eevee huffed. Ash ruffled his ears and went to see what Bill was up to. His Pokémon were all where he had left them, but as Ash headed up the corridor a familiar, but very unwelcome voice met his ears.

"-heard from my grandfather that you collected rare Pokémon. He's Professor Oak, the world renowned Pokémon researcher, and I'm-"

"Gary!" Ash yelled. "What are you doing here?"

His rival stood on the doorstep, the smirk that always made Ash want to punch him plastered to his face. At least he had left his cheerleaders with that stupid car at the base of the path. Gary's grin widened.

"Well, fancy seeing you here, Ashy-boy."

Bill looked between them in bemusement. "You two know each other?"

"We grew up together in Pallet Town," said Ash, still glaring at his old friend. "We started our journeys at the same time."

"Or at least we would have if someone hadn't been late," Gary jeered. "You're always lagging behind me, Ash." Then he paused, a frown crossing his face. "Wait, how did you get here before me? There's no way you made it through Mount Moon faster than I did."

Ash grinned and folded his arms. "Well you wasted your time, 'cause I didn't have to go through Mount Moon. And I've got three Pokémon, and I've won my first badge, so how's that for lagging behind?"

Gary snorted. "About what I expected. You see, Ash, I've caught twelve Pokémon, and I've already got two badges."

Ash gasped at him. How had Gary caught four times as many Pokémon as him, and got more badges? It had been tough enough for Ash to get this far on his own journey. The old anger was stirring again, but before the argument could escalate Bill clapped his hands together.

"Marvellous," he exclaimed. "Simply marvellous! You two might be just what I need."

Ash and Gary exchanged a startled look. Bill beamed at the pair of them and started to usher them down the corridor. "I'm sorry to interrupt your catch-up, but I have a proposal that the two of you might find interesting."

Gary raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I'm listening. Don't know how a loser like Ash would be able to help you though."

Ash was barely listening. "Hey, isn't this-"

Then Bill threw open the door, and Ash's question was lost as Eevee launched himself at Ash with an excited yip. Ash caught him easily and laughed. "I was only gone for a minute."

Eevee just continued snuggling into his neck. Ash rubbed his ears, and looked up to see Gary staring at the basket of Pokémon.

"Eevee," he breathed. "Grandfather was right. You do have really rare Pokémon."

"I do," Bill agreed. "And now I'd like to give one to you."

"What?"

Ash and Gary had spoken in unison, and promptly glared at each other. Bill smiled. "I'm not much of a trainer, you see, but I am interested in how trainers raise their Pokémon." He waved a hand at Ash and Gary. "The two of you were raised together and started your journeys together, but you've taken very different approaches to raising and training Pokémon so far." One of the Eevee stumbled out of the basket, and he paused to pick her up. "These Eevee are ready to leave home now, and I was planning to find them good homes soon. Of course, if you don't want to raise one then I'll completely understand, but -"

"Are you kidding?" Ash yelled. "I'd love to raise one!" He hesitated, glancing at the Eevee in his arms. "If that's okay with you, I mean?"

Eevee let out a delighted bark and started licking Ash's face, his dark eyes shining. Ash laughed and hugged him close. "You and Budew are gonna get on so well."

Bill chuckled. "I think you might be right." He glanced at the Eevee he was holding, and then at Gary. "What about you? Would you like to look after this little lady for me?"

Gary finally snapped his mouth shut and nodded. "Well, I guess I can't leave Ash to screw this up."

But his hands were very gentle as he took the Eevee from Bill, and stroked her fur. She licked curiously at his hand, and the smile that lit his face held none of its usual arrogance. "I'll take good care of her."

Ash looked at the Eevee in his arms, his Eevee, and nodded. "Me too."

While the two Eevee said goodbye to their parents and siblings, Bill handed Ash and Gary a pen and notebook each.

"I know neither of you have looked after Eevee before, so I thought I'd better give you some tips. Just some vital information about diet and grooming, that kind of thing."

Ash eyed him warily. He had a distinct suspicion that they had different definitions of vital information.

He wasn't wrong. By the time Bill had finished telling them exactly which cotton blends Eevee liked to use as blankets and which ones were only acceptable under dire circumstances, the sun was starting to dip towards the horizon, Ash's stomach was rumbling, and he was thoroughly fed up. Eevee had curled up on his lap for a nap, and Budew and Psyduck had returned to their Pokéballs after even Budew's enthusiasm had started flagging. Abra, of course, hadn't moved.

Next to him, Gary groaned.

"Is there much more?" he asked. "People are going to be wondering where I am."

Ash smirked at the thought of all the cheerleaders having to hang around doing nothing all afternoon. Bill blinked, then glanced at the clock. "Ah, I do seem to have kept you longer than I planned. My apologies." He gave a self-conscious chuckle. "Eevee is my favourite Pokémon, you see."

Ash smiled. "That's okay. I bet all this is going to be really useful."

He placed the notebook carefully in his pocket, returned Eevee to his new Pokéball, and stood up. "Thank you so much, Bill."

"Yeah," said Gary. "We'll let you know how they get on. But don't be surprised when mine turns out to be stronger!"

"We'll see about that," Ash growled.

Bill laughed. "Well, you've got my number, so don't hesitate to call if you have any problems. And feel free to come by any time you're in town."

He led them back through the cottage. Ash detoured off to collect Abra, and when he got back he found Gary shaking hands with Bill on the doorstep.

"-you again for everything. I promise I'll take really good care of Eevee."

"I know you will," said Bill, with a smile. "Give my regards to your grandfather." He shook Ash's hand. "Take care, both of you."

"We will," Ash said. "Goodbye, and thanks again!"

Bill waved, and closed the door. Gary sighed. "He's a cool guy, but that was way too much."

"You can say that again," Ash groaned. Even the cheerleaders had given up and gone back to Cerulean. Gary scowled at the deserted beach, and Ash had a sudden flash of inspiration.

"You know how we could wake ourselves up?"

Gary frowned, then his eyes lit up. "All right! Time to finally prove who's the greater trainer!"

"Already know the answer," Ash snorted. "But yeah. We'd better make it quick though, it'll be dark soon. One Pokémon each?"

Gary nodded. "Sounds good to me." Then he paused. "But we can't battle the Eevee. It's past their bed time."

"I know," said Ash indignantly. "I was listening too."

Gary rolled his eyes, and spun a Pokéball on his finger. "We'll use our starters then, but I'll tell you now Ashy-boy, there's no way you're beating my Pokémon. Even with a type advantage, your Pikachu won't last a second against me."

Ash glared at him. "Well you're already wrong, because I don't even have a Pikachu!"

Gary's eyes widened, and he lowered the 'ball. "Wait, seriously? You actually went for the Abra?" He shook his head. "Wow, this is gonna be even easier than I thought."

"You shut up," Ash snapped. "Abra is the best starter in the world, and we're gonna prove it."

' _Do we have to?'_

' _Yes,'_ Ash told him, and sent him out before he could argue. Abra materialised with a yawn, but Ash's attention was soon focused on their opponent. "Hey, you never said your Squirtle had evolved!"

Gary smirked. "You never asked. You shouldn't be surprised though. Unlike some people, I train my Pokémon properly."

Ash glared at him, but even as he opened his mouth Abra's calm voice cut through the anger.

' _Calm down. You know he's just trying to wind you up so you'll rush in like an idiot.'_

' _I wasn't going to do that,'_ Ash shot back.

' _Yes, you were, but now you're not so I don't care. Just keep your attention on the Wartortle, not your friend.'_

' _He's not my friend,'_ Ash muttered, but his partner had a point. He couldn't afford to be reckless when they were facing an evolved Pokémon. He tried not to think of the last battle Abra had had with a trainer's starter Pokémon. They were stronger now.

Gary looked slightly disappointed by the lack of a temper tantrum, and it was enough for Ash to get the last of his irritation under control.

"Ready?"

"Course I am," Gary shot back. "We'll show you how strong you are. Water Gun, Wartortle!"

Abra rolled his eyes and Teleported out the way, and Ash grinned. "Yeah, being strong is a great help when you can't even hit the target."

"Shut up, Ash," Gary growled. "Come on, Wartortle, he can't keep that up forever. Try Bite!"

' _No, not doing that again,'_ Abra snapped. He Teleported to right over Wartortle's head, and fired a shaky Confusion before flickering back to the ground and following it up with a volley of rocks. The Water-type staggered back, and Ash had a sudden brainwave.

' _Forget the rocks, there's sand!'_

Gleeful understanding filled his mind, and Wartortle yelped as Abra flung what seemed like half the beach in its face, and followed it up with another sort of-Confusion.

"Hey!" Gary yelled. "Those aren't proper attacks!"

"Anything's an attack a long as it works," Ash said.

Gary glared at him. "Wartortle, wash the sand away."

Wartortle did so, but by the time it could see clearly Abra had once again disappeared from sight. Ash frowned.

' _We need to do more damage.'_

' _I'm open to ideas.'_

' _What about Psywave, like Starmie was showing you?'_

' _I don't know-'_

"Over there, Wartortle!"

This time the jet of water was just fast enough to clip Abra as he vanished, and he hit the sand with a crash as he reappeared.

"Finally," said Gary. "Now use Bite before he can recover."

"Abra, try it!" Ash shouted. This battle was not going to end like the one with Paul had. Abra could do it. Ash knew he could.

Abra's eyes opened, and he raised his claws. For a split-second Ash felt a crushing pressure between his ears, then purple light exploded from Abra's hands and Wartortle went flying.

"All right, it worked!"

Abra didn't waste the opportunity. He flickered over to Wartortle, eye glowing with the power of his newly mastered attacks, and another burst of Psychic energy hammered Wartortle into the sand. The Water-type growled and tried to rise, but Abra raised a claw again.

' _No. You're not going anywhere.'_

Wartortle snapped something that Ash didn't really need translated, but as much as it struggled against Abra's power, it was no use. Ash could feel the strain, and knew his partner couldn't keep this up for long, but he didn't have to. Wartortle finally slumped down, and closed its eyes, and Ash turned to Gary.

"Looks to me like Wartortle can't battle any more."

For a long moment, Gary could only stare at the two Pokémon. He finally returned Wartortle to its Pokéball and looked at it for a second before putting it away and turning to Ash.

"Not bad, Ash."

Ash blinked. That was the closest thing to a compliment he'd heard from Gary in years. He was vaguely aware of Abra flickering back to his shoulder, but before he could say anything Gary visibly pulled himself together.

"I guess you won't be a total disappointment as a rival after all."

"Total- We just beat you!" Ash spluttered.

Gary snorted and folded his arms. "Yeah, in one battle with one Pokémon. If we were using our full teams, it would be very different."

"But-"

"And I've got more Pokémon and more badges than you," Gary continued, without batting an eyelid. "So it's obvious that I'm the better trainer." He looked Ash up and down and shook his head. "Face it, Ash, I'm still way ahead of you."

"You..." Ash trailed off, words failing him. Gary's eyes gleamed.

"Well, it's true. I bet you couldn't even make it through Mount Moon, that's why you had to dodge it."

"I could too," Ash shot back. "You managed it, so it can't be that hard."

"Yeah, but we just established that I'm the better trainer," said Gary.

"I beat you!"

"This time, and only because I was going easy on you." He shook his head and turned away. "It'll be different next time. Smell ya later, Ash."

Ash's hands clenched into fists and he started after him, but before he'd taken more than a step he found himself frozen in place. "Let me go, Abra!"

' _What did I just say about letting him antagonise you?_ ' Abra demanded. ' _He lost fair and square and he knows it, and he's trying to make himself feel better by putting you down. Stop being an idiot and falling for it.'_

Ash glared at him, but then something in Abra's voice caught up with him and he frowned. "Are you okay?"

' _Oh, I'm just fine,'_ Abra snapped. ' _It's not like I just had to use a move I've barely practised in the middle of a battle, or had to immobilise a much stronger opponent, or-'_

But that was as far as he got before Ash grabbed him into a hug. "Why didn't you say something?" he demanded. "Are you okay?"

Now that he was paying attention, he could say that Abra's colour looked nearly as bad as it had after their escape from the Spearow. Abra huffed. ' _I will be, once you stop being a fool and let me get some sleep.'_

Ash rubbed the spot on his neck he knew his partner liked, and was glad to see Abra relax into his arms. "Sorry," he said quietly. "And thank you for that. You were amazing, and you've gotten loads stronger."

Abra huffed again, but the irritation in Ash's mind had been replaced by sleepy satisfaction and Ash could only smile. Gary's words still bothered him, but they didn't change the fact that he had lost and Ash and Abra had won. Maybe Gary did have more Pokémon and more badges than them, but none of that mattered tonight.

Ash stood on the beach, his partner taking a well-deserved rest in his arms, and two new friends in Pokéballs on his belt, and forced himself to forget Gary. He was doing just fine.

The waves gleamed silver in the moonlight, and Ash shook himself. It was late, and he had a lot to do in the morning. He turned from the water, then paused.

"Which way is Cerulean again?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Any feedback would be very much appreciated.
> 
> I now have a tumblr for my fanfics (https://izzyaro.tumblr.com) so feel free to come by for a chat and ask questions.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

' _Explain to me again why we're doing this.'_

Ash tripped over a rock, swore, and scowled at Abra. "Because Gary thinks we can't, and there's no way I'm letting him get away with that."

Abra's ensuing silence spoke volumes. Ash kicked another rock out the way. "Besides, we were going to challenge the Pewter Gym at some point any way," he muttered. "And there are loads of Rock types for Budew and Psyduck to train with here."

Abra just snorted. ' _You have got to stop letting your rival get to you.'_

Ash didn't dignify that with a reply. He knew how to handle Gary. He'd won their first battle, hadn't he? Abra huffed and returned himself to his Pokéball, leaving a lingering ember of annoyance in Ash's mind. Ash gritted his teeth, and looked down at Psyduck.

"You don't think this is a waste of time, right?"

Psyduck just shrugged, and blasted another lurking Geodude out of the way with a well-aimed Water Gun. The Rock-type skittered away down a passage, and Psyduck turned an enquiring look up at Ash.

"I guess not," said Ash. "You're getting really good at that."

Psyduck nodded, then waved a hand and Ash glanced back at the rocks hovering behind her. "That looks like it's going really well too."

Now that Abra actually knew how to attack things, they had lost no time in working out some tricks for Psyduck to practice. She had been making great progress, and Ash felt his decision to travel through Mount Moon for more training had absolutely been justified.

Proving Gary wrong was just a bonus. Really.

Still, Ash was getting a bit bored of caves. Everything looked the same, and he hadn't seen anything more exciting than a Paras the whole time he'd been down here. He'd toyed with the idea of catching a Zubat or Geodude, but the first were too fast to corner, and the second just didn't appeal to him for some reason.

It would be different if they could explore properly. Ash eyed the dark passages, but before he could even start to consider the idea he felt a sharp mental poke.

' _What part of 'stick to the marked paths' is so difficult to understand?'_

"But there's nothing here!" Ash whined. "Come on, Abra, you know cool Pokémon aren't going to come up here."

Sure, the clearly marked, well-lit passages made getting through the cave easier, but all the really interesting Pokémon lived much further in, away from all the travellers. Ash took a step closer to the tunnel.

"It's not like we'd get lost. You could Teleport us back to the entrance, no problem."

' _And then we'd have to do this all over again. Yes, that sounds like a wonderful plan.'_

"C'mon, Abra..."

' _No.'_

Psyduck shook her head, and continued along their original path. Ash scowled, and started after her. "Fine," he grumbled. "I bet Gary doesn't have to deal with this."

' _We defeated Gary.'_

Ash opened his mouth, then closed it again. Abra sent an exasperated huff. ' _I'm going back to sleep. Try to stay out of trouble for the next few hours.'_

"It's not like I go looking for trouble," Ash protested.

' _I know. That's what worries me.'_

Ash rolled his eyes. "Just go to sleep."

His starter worried way too much. The resentment lingered, but the lack of reply assured Ash that Abra had fallen asleep. His hand rested on Budew's Pokéball, then he remembered how little she liked the caves so far and picked Eevee's Pokéball instead.

"Hey, you wanna come out?"

The words had barely left his lips before Eevee burst from the 'ball. He landed on the rocky ground with a happy bark, and immediately jumped into Ash's arms to lick at his neck.

"That tickles!" Ash laughed. He gave his newest Pokémon a scratch, then lowered him back to the ground. "You can stay out a bit longer today, Bill said I had to build up your stamina. You can practice some moves with Psyduck too!"

Eevee nodded, and bounded after Psyduck. Ash hurried after them, his bad mood forgotten. It was just as hard to be grumpy around Eevee as it was Budew. He caught up to his Pokémon in time to see Psyduck add another rock to her train, and grinned at her. "You're gonna be better than Abra at this rate!"

Which wasn't really surprising, considering the amount of time his starter spent sleeping, but that was okay. Psyduck gave him a rather smug look, then hurled one of the rocks at a lurking Zubat before it could attack. The startled Poison-type flitted away with a squeak, and Psyduck reclaimed her weapon with clear satisfaction. Eevee batted at one of the rocks, only to frown when Psyduck promptly levitated it out of reach. Ash smiled at the two of them.

"Eevee, how about you try practicing Swift? Psyduck, leave the next Zubat for Eevee to tackle, okay?"

Both his Pokémon nodded, Psyduck with some reluctance, and Ash continued along the passage. Eevee followed at his heels, his eyes narrowed as he tried to keep his Swift from disintegrating before he could launch it. He was making good progress, and Ash was sure that a bit more practice was all that he needed. Bill had supplied both him and Gary with lists of moves that Eevee could learn, and Ash had spent an afternoon with all his Pokémon working out what they each needed to focus on.

A grin tugged at Ash's lips. There was no way he was losing to Gary any time soon.

Another Zubat swooped over his head, and Ash stopped short.

"You ready, Eevee? Then use Swift!"

Eevee barked, and launched the stars with a flick of his tail. The first few fizzled out before making contact, but the rest homed in exactly as they were meant to and the Zubat abandoned its attack with an irritated screech. It disappeared down another passage, and Ash grinned.

"Nice one, Eevee! You're really getting the hang of it."

Eevee rubbed his head against his leg in delight, and Ash gave him a quick pat before continuing down the trail after Psyduck. "A bit more practice, and then we'll move on to Bite. How does that sound?"

Silence met his words. Ash glanced back, and frowned. "Eevee?"

His friend was standing at the edge of the passage where the Zubat had vanished. His ears and nose were twitching, and even as Ash watched he took a slow step closer to the tunnel. Ash waved for Psyduck to wait, and took a few steps back to join him.

"What's wrong? That's not the right way."

Eevee barked, but it wasn't one of the happy barks Ash had gotten used to and he didn't move. Ash opened his mouth to try again, but before he could say anything Eevee took off down the passage.

"Eevee, stop!"

Ash raced after him. He had no idea what had gotten into his partner, but he had to make sure he was okay. "Eevee, wait up! What's wrong?"

Eevee just barked again and ran faster. Hearing Psyduck struggling to keep up, Ash returned her to her 'ball and increased his own pace until he caught up with Eevee. "Stop it now!"

Eevee skidded to a halt, ears drooping. Ash picked him up and gave him a light shake. "What's wrong with you? You can't just run off like that, it's dangerous down here!" Eevee whined, and Ash shook his head. "No, you can't do that. C'mon, let's get back to the path."

Abra would never let him hear the end of it otherwise. He ignored another protesting whine from Eevee, but just as he was turning to head back to the main passage a faint sound caught his ears.

"What-?"

Ash paused, straining his ears. For a second he thought he had imagined it, but then it came again. A faint, desperate cry for help.

"It sounds like someone's in trouble!" Eevee barked, and Ash looked down at him. "Is that what you heard? Is that why you came down here?"

Eevee nodded, and wriggled out of Ash's arms to the ground. His ears twitched in the direction of the dark tunnel, but he didn't move. Instead, he turned a questioning glance up at Ash.

Ash took a step down the tunnel, then paused. He wanted to help, but Abra's words were ringing in his mind. Mount Moon was dangerous, and he wouldn't do anyone any good if he got into trouble too. He chewed on his lip for a moment, then sent out Abra. His Starter yawned, and fixed him with a glare.

' _What was the one thing I told you not to do?'_

"I didn't have a choice," Ash protested. "Eevee heard someone in trouble, and we've got to help them!"

Abra hesitated, tail lashing from side to side. ' _I...think I can feel something,'_ he said reluctantly. ' _But it could be dangerous.'_

Ash shook his head. "I don't care. I've got you and Eevee and the others, and I'm not going to stand around here when there's something I can do to help."

Abra held his gaze for a moment, then nodded. ' _I can't say I expected anything else. All right, but be careful.'_

Ash smiled at him, feeling his partner's support echoing in his mind, and looked down at Eevee. "Okay, Eevee, lead the way!"

Eevee needed no encouragement. He took off down the tunnel, and Ash paused just long enough to make sure Abra was secure on his shoulders before racing after him. "Abra, can you sense what's going on?"

He felt Abra shake his head against his neck. ' _Not clearly. There are wild Pokémon involved, Poison-types, I think...'_

"Probably Zubat and Golbat then," Ash grunted. "You'll have to help Eevee, he's still working on long-range attacks."

' _Of course. Watch out.'_

Ash leapt over a startled Paras without stopping. "Thanks."

They had to be getting close now. It was hard to hear over his footfalls and the pounding blood in his ears, but Ash could definitely hear the cries from earlier growing closer. Eevee bolted down another tunnel without hesitating, then let loose a howl that echoed through the dark passages. Ash stumbled round the corridor, and stopped short.

A gangly figure in a white lab coat was crammed in between two rocky outcroppings, but it was impossible to make out details through the horde of Zubat surrounding them. What was very clear was the terrified screams, and Ash didn't waste time thinking.

"Eevee, use Swift! Abra, use - whatever you've got that has the widest range!"

' _Very specific, thank you,'_ said Abra dryly, but he raised his hands and let loose a pulse of Psychic energy that sent the Zubat scattering. A flurry of stars followed, and Ash grinned as they homed in on the startled Flying-types.

"Great job, both of you! Now do that again!"

Eevee barked acknowledgement and started to charge another attack, and Ash took a deep breath. "Okay, cover me."

' _Wait, what are you -'_

"Not now, gotta help that guy," Ash yelled. He covered his head and charged at the few Zubat still targeting the white coat guy. "You leave him alone!"

' _Ash!'_

The panic in his voice was enough to send a spike of guilt through Ash's stomach, but then he was in the middle of the Pokémon and there wasn't time for anything else. At least these Flying-types didn't have claws. They did have fangs though, and they were Poison-types...

Then another Psybeam, more tightly focused this time, sent the nearest Zubat smashing into the opposite wall. Abra followed up with two more precise blasts, and Ash took advantage of th reprieve to run to the rocks.

"Thanks, Abra," he gasped. "Hey, are you okay?"

He was surprised when the lab coat guy turned out to be a teenager only a few years older than him. His coat was torn and scuffed, and he stopped screaming long enough to glare at Ash. "Of course I'm not okay" he screeched. "I'm being attacked! Get me out of here!"

"It's okay, we're working on that," Ash promised. He ducked as a Zubat swooped down, then grinned as one of Eevee's Swift stars sent it spinning off course. "That was awesome, Eevee!"

"Wait, it's just you?" the teen yelped. ""You're just a kid!"

"Hey!" Ash protested. "I know what I'm doing."

He felt a flash of incredulous disbelief from Abra, but his plan was actually working. Most of the Zubat had scattered down the maze of tunnels, and those that remained were hanging back instead of attacking again. Ash waved for Eevee to join them, and Abra appeared at his shoulder with a soft crack.

"Okay, we've nearly got them on the run. Once more, both of you!"

The combined Psybeam and Swift was too much. The last few Zubat disappeared to seek out easier targets, and Ash laughed in pure exhilaration. "All right! That was awesome!"

He caught both his friends into a tight hug and spun them round. "You guys were brilliant, thank you."

' _Let go of me,'_ Abra grumbled. He wriggled out of Ash's arms and hovered out of reach, but Eevee let out a delighted bark and licked at Ash's neck. Ash grinned and scratched his thick ruff.

"Nice work," he repeated. "You've definitely got the hang of Swift now."

Eevee nodded, his eyes very bright, then his tiny face scrunched into a yawn. Ash frowned. "Yeah, you've had a busy day. Get some rest, okay?"

Eevee disappeared into his Pokéball without protest. Ash replaced it carefully on his belt, and Ash turned up at Abra. "Thank you. I know you wanted us to stay out of trouble-"

' _I did, but you were right,'_ Abra interrupted. ' _You couldn't ignore someone in trouble.'_ He sighed, tail waving lazily. ' _I suppose I should get used to it.'_

Ash smiled, but the moment was interrupted by a loud groan. Ash winced, and turned to the guy they'd rescued. "Hey, are you okay?"

The guy squeezed himself out from between the rocks, and slowly straightened up. "Yeah, I think so. Thanks to you." He held out a hand. "I'm Miguel."

Ash shook it. "I'm Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town, and this is my partner, Abra." He looked Miguel up and down and frowned. "What happened?"

He couldn't see any Pokéballs, and this wasn't the place where people just wandered around. Miguel coughed and adjusted his glasses. "I wasn't really meant to be down here," he admitted. "I'm doing an internship with the Pewter City Museum, and we're on a trip to look for fossils. I thought there might be something interesting down here, but I got lost, and then the Zubat came." He shuddered, face paling under the grime. "What if they come back? I don't have any Pokémon, what am I going to do?"

"Calm down," Ash said firmly. "I'll help you find your friends."

Miguel stared at him. "You will? Thank you so much!" Then he frowned. "But how? I got so turned around, I have no idea which way it is."

Ash grimaced. There were so many small passages that he couldn't remember how he had got here either. Eevee might be able to scent their way out, but he really needed a break. Ash thought for a moment, then glanced at Abra.

"You were able to tell that someone was down here," he said. "D'you think you could find the scientists?"

Abra cocked his head to one side. ' _My range isn't that extensive, but I can try.'_

"Thanks," said Ash, with a nod. Abra closed his eyes, and Ash glanced at Miguel. "Abra's gonna see if he can sense them."

Miguel looked sceptical. "Well, that might work. Abra aren't exactly known for their power though, are they?"

Ash was really getting sick of people telling him his starter was useless. He glared at Miguel. "Abra is great," he snapped. "Just you wait."

Miguel had the grace to look abashed. He started fussing with his lab coat, and Ash forced down his annoyance with an effort. He knew how strong Abra was. One day everyone would see it too.

Though he couldn't help wondering just when his starter would evolve.

' _I think I have something.'_

Everything else was instantly forgotten. Ash grinned and bounded over to Abra. "Really? Awesome!"

Miguel's head snapped up. "He found them?"

' _Possibly,'_ said Abra. ' _It's hard to tell from so far away, but I can sense a number of minds, and none of them seem particularly hostile.'_

"That's good enough for me," Ash announced. Even if it wasn't Miguel's friends, they would be safer with a large group. He glanced at Miguel. "C'mon, let's see if it's them. Lead the way, Abra."

Abra shot him a look, and settled pointedly on his shoulder. Ash rolled his eyes. "Fine. Which way?"

' _Which of us just fought off a horde of Zubat? That one."_

Ash turned to the indicated tunnel, and nodded. "Okay then, let's go."

Miguel gave the pair of them a rather wary look, but followed without arguing. Ash kept a careful eye out for any more Zubat, but the noise of the battle seemed to have driven anything in the area away. It had also scared away any more interesting Pokémon that might have been lurking away from the more well-travelled areas, but that couldn't be helped.

Miguel still looked worried though, twitching at every stray sound and movement and never moving more than a few feet away from Ash. Ash cast around for a distraction, and something his new friend had said earlier came to mind.

"So why are you guys looking for fossils anyway?"

Miguel blinked. "Because they're fascinating! Have you never been to the Pewter Museum? You have to go as soon as you reach the city, Ash, it's incredible! We've found fossils that show the evolution of all sorts of Pokémon dating back millions of years! And some facilities have even managed to revive prehistoric Pokémon from fossils!" His eyes glazed over. "Can you imagine it, Ash? Meeting a Pokémon that lived before humans even existed?"

He had forgotten his worries at least. Ash felt a faint flicker of amusement from Abra, but his own interest was piqued.

"That is really cool," he agreed. "Have you ever revived a fossil Pokémon?"

Miguel shook himself, and sighed. "Ah, no. We don't really have the funding. It's really expensive to revive fossils," he explained, when Ash gave him a blank look. "The Cinnabar Lab managed to get a grant, and the Devon Corporation in Hoenn has been developing their own techniques, but we don't have anything like that."

"I guess that makes sense," said Ash slowly. He tried not to be too disappointed, prehistoric Pokémon sounded awesome, but if they were that hard to revive then it was unlikely he would ever get to see one. He shook off the thought, there were hundreds of awesome Pokémon out there.

"Yeah, its a shame," said Miguel. He ducked under a sharp outcropping, promptly tripped over another rock, and sighed. "I think I should stick to lab work."

' _Not much further,'_ said Abra. His tail wrapped more tightly around Ash's neck as he yawned. ' _You owe me a full day's sleep.'_

Ash reached up to pat his head. ' _I know, but you've been brilliant today. And it has been good training, right?'_

Abra grumbled but didn't contradict him, so Ash counted that as agreement. He ducked around another corner, then paused. "Can anyone else hear that?"

It was very faint, but he thought he could make out the faint murmur of voices. Miguel squinted into the gloom, and Abra nodded. ' _That's them. Keep going in that direction, I'm going back to sleep. Don't call me unless you absolutely have to."_

With that, he vanished back into his Pokéball. Miguel jumped back with a start of surprise. "Is...is he all right?"

"He's fine," said Ash, shooting a fond smile at his belt. "Just tired out. Don't worry, it's not far. And I've still got two more Pokémon if we do run into any trouble," he added, when Miguel started twitching again.

Miguel chewed on his lip for a moment, then nodded. "All right. Thanks."

Ash smiled, and started heading in the direction of the voices. "No problem."

"No, I mean it. You put yourself in danger to help me."

Ash blinked, the grinned at him. "Anyone would have done the same. Now come on, let's find your friends."

Miguel stared at him for a long minute, then shook himself and followed Ash down the passage. "I think I can hear them too now."

Ash nodded, he could definitely make out distinct voices instead of just an indistinct babble. He followed the passage round to the left and blinked as they ended up in a surprisingly large cavern. Electric lights lined the walls, powered by a bored-looking Magneton, and people in white coats carrying clipboards were huddled together. One of them looked up at their entrance, and waved.

"There you are, Miguel! We were starting to get worried." Then he looked at Miguel properly and all but ran across the cave. "What happened?"

Miguel flushed as he began to explain himself. Ash was only half-listening, he was too interested in watching the nearest scientists start screeching at each over a dull grey rock, but he glanced back when he heard his name.

"- but Ash and his Pokémon drove them off, and then helped me get back here."

The man's eyes were very wide by the time he finally turned to Ash. "It looks like we owe you. My name's Seymour, I'm part of the research team at the museum."

"I'm Ash Ketchum," Ash said, shaking his hand. "And it was no trouble at all!"

"It was to me," Miguel interrupted. "I'd have been in real trouble if you hadn't shown up. Thank you."

Seymour looked the teen up and down and shook his head. "Next time, perhaps you'll stick to the designated areas, but never mind. Go and check in Haruki, she's got the first aid kit."

"Yes, sir." He gave Ash a final warm smile, and headed for the rest of the group. Seymour shook his head.

"He was lucky you found him when you did. Speaking of which, are your Pokémon all right?"

"They're okay," Ash assured him. "They're just a bit tired."

"I'm glad to hear it," said Seymour with a nod. He rummaged in his belt pouch and retrieved two large Sitrus berries. "Here, these will help them recover more quickly."

Ash blinked, then smiled. "That's really nice of you, thank you, but, well, Abra's asleep and I don't think he'd want to be woken up, and Eevee was kind of tired too."

Seymour nodded, but before he could say anything there was a flash of light and Eevee appeared at Ash's feet. His tail was drooping, but his eyes were very bright and he jumped into Ash's arms with a bark. Ash caught him automatically and stroked his ears.

"Are you okay?" he said. "That wasn't much of a rest."

Eevee licked his cheek, and scrambled out of his arms to cling to Ash's shoulder. Ash spared a moment to wonder why his partners liked sitting there so much, before shaking himself and turning back to Seymour, who was smiling at them.

"I guess Eevee isn't that tired."

Seymour chuckled. "So I see." He offered the berry to Eevee. "Thank you for helping my friend, Eevee."

Eevee licked at his fingers, and accepted the treat with a cheerful yip. Ash reached up to scratch his ruff. "Thanks, but it was really nothing." A crash sounded from behind them, making Ash jump, but Seymour just rubbed his eyes.

"Please be careful with the samples, Tony."

"Sorry, sir!"

Seymour shook his head. Ash glanced round at the hustle and bustle and decided it couldn't hurt to ask. "So, have you found any fossils here?"

"Not on this trip," said Seymour, with a sigh. "But that's okay, it just works out like that sometimes. I don't even specialise in fossils, to be honest, but were a bit short-handed at the moment." He shook his head, and smiled. "Anyway, you must be keen to get back to your journey. Thank you again for your help."

"No problem, said Ash cheerfully. He started to turn away, then paused. "Um, which way is Pewter City again?"

Ten minutes later, Ash was back on his way with a very detailed map clutched in his hand. The way back to the main path was clear enough, but he wasn't too worried. He had his Pokémon, and after today he had no doubts whatsoever about their capabilities.

He was particularly impressed with Eevee, who had refused to return to his Pokéball despite Ash's promises that he wasn't going to run into another horde of Zubat. The little Normal-type had been brilliant all day, and Ash felt a warm rush of pride. There was no way Gary's Eevee had had such a tough challenge and done so well.

A bark drew his attention from a very pleasant daydream about utterly destroying Gary, and Ash looked down in time to see Eevee drop something at his feet.

"Huh? What have you found?"

He crouched down, and blinked. "A rock?"

He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say. The rock was about the size of both his fists and roughly oval, but it was just a rock. Eevee looked so proud of himself though, that Ash had to smile.

"Thanks, Eevee."

Eevee's eyes brightened, and he batted his prize towards Ash's hand. Ash looked at it, then at him. "You want me to bring it with me?"

Eevee barked again, his dark eyes shining. Ash hesitated. He wasn't sure he really wanted to be carrying a rock around, but he also couldn't bear to disappoint his friend. "Okay then."

He picked it up, and hefted it in his hand for a moment. It was lighter than he expected, and when he brushed some of the dirt off it gleamed an odd golden-brown in the dim light. Ash shrugged, and stuffed it down to the bottom of his rucksack, and ruffled Eevee's ears. "Thank you."

Eevee licked at his hand, then his tiny fangs showed in another massive yawn. Ash shook his head. "I think you should get some more sleep. I promise I'll call if I run into any more trouble, okay?"

Eevee gave him a look of pure adoration, and returned to his Pokéball. Ash swung his bag back onto his shoulders, and sent out Psyduck. She gave him a look and the closest rocks floated into the air to hover behind her, and Ash smiled.

"Same as before then?"

Psyduck nodded, and waddled off ahead of him. Up ahead were the bright lights of the main passage, and Ash picked up his pace. Pewter City, and his second Gym Badge awaited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Any feedback would be appreciated.  
> Come and find me on tumblr if you want to chat about my fics! https://izzyaro.tumblr.com

**Author's Note:**

> And now the fun starts... In case anyone is worried, only some Psychic-types, Aura-users, and Legendaries will be communicating this easily with humans. The rest of Ash's team will manage as usual when Abra is asleep/bored/can't be bothered to translate, so basically all the time.
> 
> Any feedback would be very much appreciated.


End file.
